A historic first for East African football

05Oct 2023
The Guardian Reporter
Sport
The Guardian
A historic first for East African football

EAST African football enthusiasts must be over the moon at the moment following the fact that Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya have been granted the much-desired rights to co-host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in 2027.

 

Indeed, the heartening news is a welcome development for East African football as it marks the first time in the annals of continental football history that the revered AFCON finals will be staged here, in this football-mad region.

From a Tanzanian standpoint, the development has gladdened countless Tanzanians as they will have a front-row seat to the ever-enthralling football action that is so characteristic of the AFCON finals.

It is hoped then that preparations for the AFCON finals here on home soil can get underway forthwith to ensure that we can put on an unforgettably splendid competition that all fans will be able to greatly relish.

Encouragingly, it is cheering to note that the presidents of all three co-hosting countries seem to be overjoyed over the development and significantly, they all want the 2027 AFCON finals to be an overwhelming success.

Therefore, now that the countdown to the 2027 AFCON finals has begun, we should all keep our fingers crossed that the upcoming elite football championship here in the region will be etched on our minds for all the right reasons.

Let us now switch our focus to club football, where Yanga and Simba SC were involved in entertaining and dramatic second legs of their respective CAF Champions League second-round ties last weekend.

First and foremost, let us begin with Yanga, who hosted the decidedly tricky Sudanese side, Al Merrikh, last Saturday at the Azam Complex Stadium in the second leg of their CAF Champions League second-round tie.

After bagging a two-nil victory over Al Merrikh in the away first leg a fortnight ago in Rwanda, Yanga headed into the home second leg determined not to suffer any catastrophic slip-ups.

And, despite the best efforts of Al Merrikh to successfully play the role of party poopers, Yanga’s defense proved to be impenetrable, and in addition, they netted a solitary goal in the second leg to brilliantly win the tie 3-nil on aggregate.

Consequently, Yanga has now qualified for the CAF Champions League Group Stage for the first time in 25 years, which is a noteworthy and laudable accomplishment.

As for Simba SC, the Msimbazi Street side was forced to endure an agonizing second leg of their CAF Champions League second-round tie against Power Dynamos before they eventually advanced unscathed to the Group Stage of the competition.

In the first leg in Zambia a fortnight ago, Simba SC and their hosts Power Dynamos finished an exciting clash on level terms with the score-line being 2-2.

And, in the second leg at the Azam Complex Stadium last Sunday, the two teams served up a nail-biting encounter that ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

This then meant that Simba SC narrowly progressed to the CAF Champions League Group Stage on the away goals rule following a 3-3 draw on aggregate.

Thus, kudos should be plentifully given to both Yanga and Simba SC for successfully advancing to the CAF Champions League Group Stage.

One hopes then that both local football heavyweights will be able to make an immense impact on the competition this season. 

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