Former Rwanda national football team captain Haruna ‘Fabregas’ Niyonzima will conduct the draw for the 2026 Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Kagame Cup in Kigali on Friday, July 10th, 2026.
Niyonzima called “Fabregas” because of his striking stylistic and physical resemblance to the Spanish midfield maestro the former Arsenal and Barcelona star, Cesc Fàbregas with over 110 caps for the Rwandan national team (Amavubi) and winning 11 major trophies with Tanzania Premier League champion Young Africans (Yanga) before an emotional departure in 2021 will assist in conducting the draw at Amahoro National Stadium Press Conference Room from 10 am local time.
This year’s competition, will run from 24 July to 7 August in Kigali.
CECAFA Competitions Manager Yusuf Mossi said the tournament will also serve as crucial preparation for clubs ahead of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup campaigns, which begin in September.
Following the confirmation of the defending champions Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars as the final participant, the teams could be drawn against Gor Mahia (Kenya) APR FC (Rwanda), El Merriekh SC (Sudan), Mogadishu City FC (Somalia), Vipers SC (Uganda), Jamus SC (South Sudan), Rayon Sports (Rwanda), Simba SC (Tanzania), Al Hilal SC (Sudan), FC Garde Républicaine or KVZ FC (Djibouti).
Singida Black Stars head into the tournament as defending champions after defeating Sudan’s Al Hilal in last year’s final, while APR FC finished third when the competition was staged in Dar es Salaam.
