Regional tournament approved

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that a new African Cup of Nations tourney which will involve only home based players will start this year. 

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Group 5/ East Zone
Rwanda
Uganda
Burundi
Djibouti
Ethiopia
Eritrea
Kenya
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that a new African Cup of Nations tourney which will involve only home based players will start this year. 

This was approved in the CAF Congress held in Accra, Ghana prior to the start of the African Nations Cup finals.

The Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa who attended the congress told Times Sport that regional champions will compete with champions from other regions.

"The competition will be played on the regional basis with the winner of each region competing with winners from the South, West and North African regions to determine  the champion,” Kalisa said, adding that all members will be required to take part in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Rwanda has been drawn to play in Group 5 of the African Championship of Nations tournament whose dates are yet to be set by the continental body.

The Amavubi Stars will compete in Group 5 or East Zone, alongside Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania in this competition.  Only players who feature in their domestic leagues will be eligible to participate. 

One team will emerge from each Zone to join the hosts in the Championship to be staged once every two years, alternating with the African Cup of Nations.

The qualifying phase will take place every even year and the final every odd year.
 In another development, CAF committee has banned clubs from singing their countries’ national anthems whenever they are going to play international matches. 

Kalisa said, "There will not be singing of national anthems when clubs of different countries face each other in Caf competitions, the anthems will be sung only when national teams are playing,” 
Ends