By Spy Uganda
Eight teams will battle in the regional tournament to take place at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru between June 1st to 11th.
Burundi will face Djibouti in the opening Group A match, while Uganda Crested Cranes will take on Rwanda in the second match in what is expected to be a tough encounter.
Gustave Niyonkuru, the Burundi Women’s national team head coach says his team is well prepared for the tournament. “We don’t have any injury worries and we have prepared well enough,” added Niyonkuru.
Uganda Crested Cranes coach George Lutalo also made it clear that they have prepared well and are ready to make Ugandan happy. “I want to say that the players named are ready to compete. We have prepared them both physically and mentally,” added the coach.
Both Uganda and Burundi will use the regional tournament to fine-tune ahead of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations which will be hosted by Morocco in July, 2022.
Auka Gecheo, the Executive Director of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) says because the teams have had enough time to prepare, they expect a very competitive tournament.
“We are happy to have this tournament during this period because it will also help our teams Uganda and Burundi have good match practice and prepare better ahead of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations,” added Gecheo.
Kenya who lifted the regional trophy in 2019 when the tournament was last held will not defend the title since the team was not entered for the competition. FIFA is yet to lift the suspension on Football Kenya Federation.
Group A: Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Djibouti
Group B: Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Sudan, Ethiopia.
