By Imam Wali:
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets have said Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) is yet to send them an invitation to the Kagame Cup slated for July 20 to August 4 in Tanzania.
Bullets were invited as a guest team to the 2021 edition of the competition and went all the way up to the final, where they lost 1-0 to Uganda’s Express FC in Dar es Salaam.
This year’s tournament has attracted top teams from Cecafa’s 12 member associations including Zanzibar, with four more teams from non-member countries expected to take part on invitation.
Bullets Chief Administrative Officer Albert Chigoga said they have not received any invitation to the regional showpiece.
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“There has not been any form of invitation to us yet. Should the invitation come, we will sit down and weigh options available on the table.
“So I can assure you now that we have not been invited. We will consider the invitation once it comes and make an appropriate decision thereafter,” Chigoga said.
A press statement signed by Cecafa Executive Director Auka Gecheo and released on Tuesday reads: “We are glad that this tournament will be returning after two years to provide a brilliant pre-season platform for teams to prepare better before the start of the 2024-25 Caf Champions League, Caf Confederation Cup and the different leagues back home.”
Bullets sailed through to the finals of the cup after beating Tanzania’s Azam FC 4-2 on post-match penalties at Azam Complex following a 2-2 tie in regulation time.
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Bullets reached the semifinals of the tournament after finishing second in Group A with five points while Azam topped Group B with six points.
Tanzanian side Simba SC has lifted the title a record six times, one more than compatriots Young Africans SC and Tusker FC of Kenya while APR FC (Rwanda), Al Merriekh (Sudan), SC Villa (Uganda) and Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC have won it three times each.
Last time Bullets participated in the competition, El Merriekh Group provided air tickets to all participating teams, referees and Cecafa officials.
The group also covered full board accommodation and local transport and logistics for all delegations.
