AS Vita Club, Motema Pembe of DR Congo and Zesco United from Zambia have confirmed their participation in the upcoming 2019 Cecafa Kagame Cup tournament, which is set for July 7-21 in Kigali.

According to reports from Kenyan media, the Cecafa Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye, says that plans to stage the tournament are in advanced stages. The two-week showpiece will be an 18-team contest.

"We have received confirmation from Zesco, AS Vita and Motema Pembe who want to participate in the tournament. These are strong teams and their presence will offer our clubs a platform to prepare for next season’s CAF competitions,” Musonye was quoted as saying.

However, by press time Wednesday, the local football governing body (Ferwafa) was yet to receive an official communication from the Cecafa secretariat about the new addition of guest teams to this year’s edition of the regional tournament.

Rwandan champions Rayon Sports will face a litmus test in the quest for their first Cecafa Kagame Cup title in over twenty years, which comes with a prize purse of U$D 30,000 (about Rwf27million). The Blues last won the competition in 1998.

Cecafa Kagame Cup, the oldest club competition on the continent, brings together teams from Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Tanzania’s Azam FC are the defending champions, having beaten compatriots Simba SC in Dar es Salaam to retain the title last year.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com