TANZANIA soccer giants Simba SC and Young Africans’ participation in the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Kagame Cup is in doubt due to their pre-season schedules.

According to Simba SC’s manager of information and communication, Ahmed Ally, the club is set to leave for Egypt during the first week of July where they will set up a four-week camp.

Kagame Cup is scheduled for July 6 to July 22, with matches slated to be played in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, which shows Simba will automatically miss the regional club tournament.

The trip marks Simba's second pre-season training camp in the North African country. Simba were in Egypt in preparations for the 2022/23 campaign where they played against Haras El Hodood, Ismailia, and Abou Hamad.

As Simba are set to travel to Egypt in the first week of next month, the club has not released a statement on their absence from this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup. 

Only Azam, TP Mazembe, and Nyasa Big Bullets are the clubs that have confirmed their withdrawal.

Young Africans are expected to travel to Russia and South Africa for their pre-season preparations as well as participate in Gor Mahia’s pre-season special tournament in Kenya.

Young Africans are yet to confirm their participation in the CECAFA Kagame Cup but they have a piled schedule with matches against CSKA Moscow, Kaizer Chiefs, and Gor Mahia.

With the Tanzania Mainland Premier League champions still undecided, it means their participation is in doubt for this year’s Kagame Cup.

While Young Africans and Simba’s participation is still in doubt, Singida Black Stars have joined Coastal Union to confirm their participation. 

Singida Black Stars will replace Azam FC, who withdrew citing pre-season preparations for the upcoming CAF Champions League.

Hussein Massanza, Singida Black Stars’ media and communication officer, confirmed the team’s participation, stating that the squad will arrive in Dar es Salaam on July 1st to prepare for the tournament.

“We have decided to utilise the Kagame Cup 2024 as part of our technical bench’s program in preparations for the 2024/2025 season,” Massanza explained.

The Kagame Cup’s dates have been adjusted to precede the 2024/2025 CAF club competitions, ensuring ample preparation time for all participating teams.

Recently, CECAFA Executive Director, John Auka Gecheo, expressed confidence in the tournament’s significance for regional football development, emphasising its role in enhancing team readiness for continental challenges.

With teams like APR FC (Rwanda), El Merreikh (Sudan), and Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) also in the lineup, the Kagame Cup 2024 promises to be a thrilling showcase of skill and determination among East and Central Africa’s finest clubs.

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.

Teams that are still expected to compete in the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024 are Vital‘O (Burundi), APR FC (Rwanda), El Merreikh, Al Hilal, Hai El Wadi (Sudan), Young Africans, Simba, Singida Black Stars, Coastal Union (Tanzania Mainland), Gor Mahia (Kenya), SC Villa (Uganda), JKU (Zanzibar), El Merreikh FC-Bentiu (South Sudan), and Red Arrow FC (Zambia)