Bullets get Cecafa nod
FCB Nyasa Bullets plan to discuss an invitation from Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cacafa) to take part in the 2024 edition of the Cecafa Kagame Cup.
A press statement from Cecafa, dated June 10 2024, says the tournament, scheduled for July 6 to 22, will be co-hosted by Tanzania.
Reacting to the invitation in an interview yesterday, the People’s Team chief administration officer Albert Chigoga said: “We will discuss and map the way forward once we get a formal invitation.”
But the club’s legend and former coach Kinnah Phiri has urged Bullets to take part in the competition to help them prepare for the CAF Champions League.
He said: “It is important that they take part in the Cecafa tournament because it will help them tune up for the CAF tournament.
“Their performance in the local league so far has not been impressive and they have also not done well in the last four or five editions of the Champions League, so it is ideal that they take part in the Cecafa tournament.”
Apart from Bullets, Cecafa has also invited two other guest teams, Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe and newly-crowned Zambian national champions Red Arrows.
There are 16 teams, namely Vital ‘O of Burundi, APR FC from Rwanda, Sudan’s El Merrekh, Al Hilal and Hal El Wadi, Young Africans, Simba DC, Azam FC and Coastal Union FC of Tanzanisa, Gor Mahia from Kenya, Uganda’s SC Villa, JKU SC from Zanzibar, El Merrekh FC of South Sudan and the three guest sides.
The tournament, which is bankrolled by Rwandan president Paul Kagame to the tune of $500 000 (about K875.5 million), returns after a three-year break.
The winner gets $30 000 (about K52.5 million).
Cacafa executive director John Auka Gecheo said: “This competition will help our teams in the zone to prepare better in the pre-season ahead of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup which start in August.
“Having top sides from DRC, Malawi and Zambia will also spice-up our club competition and give our teams a real test.”
Bullets participated in the 2021 edition held in Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania, where they went all the way to the final under the tutelage of the then assistant coach Peter Mponda, who is now Silver Strikers head coach.
Bullets lost to Uganda’s Express FC 1-0 in the final.
