Africa-Press – Tanzania. ALL is set for the epic Kagame Cup final between Uganda Express and Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam today.
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe will at the venue to watch the two giants’ battle.
Despite Express reaching in the Kagame Cup for the third time, they have never won the championship hence they will be keen not to let this golden chance slip away into thin air.
However, this is not the first time for the two teams to face-off in the contest as they met during the group A tie which elapsed in a 1-1 stalemate with Nyasa Big Bullets scoring late to equalise the deficit and sweep one point in the process.
It was one of the hot games in the ending Kagame Cup but much focus now is on which team will stand tall after today’s tense encounter to win the prestigious award.
Express hammered Young Africans 3-1 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium which was the heavy defeat in the semifinals package of the competition thereby enabling the former to step into the finals.
On the other side, Nyasa Big Bullets outclassed favourites Azam 4-2 in post-match penalties as they drew 2-2 after normal period of play and extra time.
It was the first game to be decided in spot kicks which in the end went in favour of the visitors leaving the hosts stranded at their own backyard.
Meanwhile, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Motsepe yesterday met Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in Dodoma with development of sports infrastructure and sponsorship was the major agenda.
The CAF President and PM talked about football in Tanzania, in the CECAFA region and African as a continent.
Also among the hottest issues, was the CAF Pan African Schools Football Championship which is yet to be launched in the region.
Dr Motsepe announced the interschool competition project in Africa in April this year in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The PM briefed Dr Motsepe on the government’s strategies to uplift the standard of the country’s football at the club and national levels.
“We have started a campaign to develop and modernize our football in a progammme that also involves Ministries of Education, Science and Technology, Local governments and the Ministry responsible with Information, Culture, Arts and Sports and the whole project depends much the new talents from Inter-Primary School and Inter-Secondary School games and Higher Learning Institutions,” said the PM.
Dr Motsepe advised the government to create conducive play grounds, improve sports infrastructure to suit international standards since through them Tanzania will be able to create quality players.
Dr Motsepe said his tenure at CAF will focus on three items; to engage private sector in sports investment, to increase sponsorship package and sports academies.
He said under One Billion Dollar Fund, CAF seeks to improve sports infrastructure.
Dr Motsepe concluded by commending President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s efforts in reviving and developing sports in Tanzania.
