BURUNDIAN champions Vital’O FC have announced that they won’t take part in the forthcoming CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024 slated to take place in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar from July 6-22, this year.

Under coach Parris Sahabo, Vital'Ol will now represent Burundi in the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Sahabo’s team finished with 72 points from 30 matches, while Flambeau du Centre, who put up a good show, came second with 69 points and will play in the CAF Confederations Cup.

Vital’O have decided to withdraw from the tournament to concentrate on their own pre-season schedule which involves preparations for the continental competition.

The Kagame Cup tournament returns after a four-year hiatus since 2021 when it last took place in Dar es Salaam.

Vital’O is the latest club to withdraw after Congolese giants TP Mazembe, Tanzania’s Azam FC and Malawian side Nyasa Big Bullets also pulled out of the tournament.

The quartet’s withdrawal has seen the number of participants reduced to 12 down from the initial 16 teams that had been expected to participate.

CECAFA could consider replacing teams that have withdrawn from the competition, with Police FC of Rwanda said to be the latest addition by the organizers.

With more teams withdrawing from the tournament, Singida Black Stars have also been included in the tournament to replace Azam.

The tournament could also be short of Young Africans and Simba as their pre-season schedules are slated to begin in the first week of July outside Tanzania.

The two sides’ participation has not been confirmed yet despite receiving invitation letters from the organisers.

Young Africans are expected to play in Europe, South Africa, and Kenya during their pre-season preparations.

As the Msimbazi Street-based side is gearing up for a significant overhaul of their squad preparing for the upcoming season, the team is set to head to Egypt for an intensive pre-season training camp.

The camp will include both current squad members and new signings, alongside the technical bench led by their new coach.

Organised by the Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA), the tournament was rebranded to CECAFA Kagame Cup in 2002, when President Paul Kagame began sponsoring the competition. It is contested by clubs from East and Central Africa.

The cancellation of the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup 2024 underscores the focus on preparing players adequately for the prestigious Kagame Cup, setting the stage for an exhilarating football spectacle.

Remaining teams for CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024: El Merreikh, Al Hilal, Hai El Wadi (all from Sudan), Young Africans SC, Simba SC and Coastal Union FC (all from Mainland Tanzania), Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), SC Villa (Uganda), JKU SC (Zanzibar), El Merreikh FC-Bentiu (South Sudan), APR FC (Rwanda) and Red Arrows FC (Zambia).