FIFA boosts CECAFA Women Challenge Cup

World football governing body (FIFA) has promised to offer US$330,000 (about Rwf277.8 million) towards this year’s CECAFA Women Challenge Cup tournament set for November 3-10 in Rwanda. “FIFA provided a platform for the development women’s football and it’s in that line that they have agreed to support CECEFA Women Challenge Cup, which be staged in Rwanda with US$330,000,” revealed Felicite Rwemalika, FERWAFA Executive Committee member in charge of women’s football. However, Rwemalika also disclosed that they are waiting for approval from the government to host the event and guarantees that they Ministry of Sports will prepare the national team. FERWAFA, under the women’s football, sent a detailed dossier to the CECAFA secretariat about hosting event, accompanied by a letter indicating that FIFA will pay for all the requirements. The tournament was revived last year once again since 1989. Uganda hosted the 2016 edition at the FUFA Technical center in Njeru where Tanzania edged Kenya in the final to win the championship whilst Ethiopia piped Uganda to third place. Rwanda, under head coach Grace Nyinawumuntu, who since been sacked, failed go past the group stage after losing to Tanzania and Ethiopia 3-2 respectively in Group B. After a meeting held in Nairobi last month, the CECAFA board nominated Rwanda to host CECAFA Women’s Challenge Cup, Burundi will host the CECAFA U-17 tournament next year, while Kenya was given a go ahead to host the Men’s Senior Challenge Cup. The announcement is a sigh of relief for the region’s football enthusiasts who have been starved of inter-country football for the last two years. The CECAFA Under-17 and Under-20 tournaments have not been played since 2009 and 2010 respectively. For two years now, CECAFA has failed to stage its two main annual competitions-the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup and the Kagame Club Championship. The 12 member states that form the CECAFA bloc include; Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zanzibar. editorial@newtimes.co.rw