ACTUALITE |
08.12.2001
Somalia ready for Cecafa
Hosts Rwanda play Somalia in the opening game of the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup in Kigali on Saturday in front of what is expected to be a packed Stade Amahoro.
The national brewery, which is sponsoring the event, has bought all the tickets and fans will be allowed in for free.
"It is a matter of first come, first served", says Cesar Kayizari, chairman of the Rwandan football association (Ferwafa).
The Rwanda `A` team will put nothing to chance though, as they remember being edged out when they hosted the event two years ago.
It was the Rwanda `B` side which surprisingly carried national pride beating the Harambee Stars of Kenya in the final.
Last year, Uganda `A` took the trophy on home turf, in Kampala, beating Uganda `B` in the final.
"The national team has been training for two months", explains Kayizari.
Terrible record
"As you know, home advantage is essential, but we are also better than we have ever been, with our new coach from Yugoslavia, Hailad Duksivic.
Somali hard at Work
Rwanda`s first opponent, Somalia, have the worst record in African football, lying in 197th position in Fifa`s country rankings, only five places from bottom.
"It`s all because of the civil war. I think the last time we won a game was in 1996 or 1995", says Somalia`s deputy coach Ali Said Guled.
"It was against Kenya in Nairobi".
But he remains upbeat despite the odds.
The Cecafa tournament is the only opportunity for some East African sides to play international football.
"This Challenge Cup is very important", says Somalia`s Farah Addo, Cecafa`s chairman and vice-president of Caf.
Practice
"If you don`t compete at regional level, you will be a backwater. You cannot pretend to go to continental and world football without starting from scratch.
"The standard of football in our zone is a little bit down because for many years the people running Cecafa were not serious. There was no discipline."
"We are encouraging the development of the youth so, in the future, we will perform better."
The last time a country from the region qualified for the Nations Cup was ten years ago when Kenya played in Senegal `92.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
|
|
|
|
| |