CECAFA Invite Nigeria To U17 Championship

The Council of East and Central African Football Associations, CECAFA, has invited Nigeria’s U-17 team to participate in next month’s U-17 championship to be staged in Khartoum and Juba in Sudan.

In a report posted on the CECAFA official website, secretary Nicholas Musonye said Nigeria had been invited so as to raise the standards of the game in the region.

“Nigeria have one of the best under-17 talent in the world. At this level, their football put the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Sunday Oliseh on the world map. When Nigeria play in our tournament next month, they will be serving warning to youths in our region that football at this level is no ‘kids’ stuff,” said Musonye.

The CECAFA tournament kicks off in Sudan on August 12 after all the eleven CECAFA member countries assemble in Sudan. Musonye said that according to tentative plans, groups will be based in Khartoum and Juba but there is a possibility of placing the third group in another Sudanese city of Kessala.

It will be the first time ever that a major international sports event will take place in the semi-autonomous Sudanese region ravaged by war for decades. The Unity Government of Sudan has given CECAFA $400,000 towards hosting of the tournament and CAF (African Football Confederation) is also assisting.

Meanwhile CAF has openly praised CECAFA as the most active and efficient regional organisation in the continent. CAF is also pleased with CECAFA’s efforts to encourage co-operation between regional bodies.

After the conclusion of the CECAFA club championship on Sunday, the senior CECAFA championship that involves national teams in the region will take place in Kenya later in the year.

Organizations such as COSAFA (Confederation of Southern African Football Associations) and WAFU (West African Football Union) have lately halted their activities or discontinued them altogether, owing to financial and administrative problems.

James Momanyi, Goal.com