Gor Mahia, Tusker learn CECAFA Kagame Cup group stage opponents

FKF Premier League champions Gor Mahia and Mozzart Bet Cup holders Tusker have discovered their opponents for the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup following the tournament draw conducted on Friday.

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The regional championship, which returns to Rwanda from 24 July to 7 August, will bring together East and Central Africa's top clubs in a fortnight-long battle for supremacy.

Record Kenyan champions Gor have been handed a daunting Group A assignment, where they will face Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers SC, APR (Rwanda), and Djibouti's Garde Républicaine, who earned a place in the competition through a CECAFA invitation.

Tusker, meanwhile, have been drawn in Group C alongside Rwandan giants Rayon Sports, Zanzibar Premier League champions KVZ SC, and Sudan's Al Hilal SC.

The Brewers were drafted into the tournament after Sudanese outfit Al Merrikh SC withdrew because of delays in concluding their domestic league, paving the way for the former Kenyan champions to return to the regional competition.

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Group B promises equally thrilling contests, with defending champions Singida Black Stars of Tanzania set to battle compatriots Simba SC, Somali side Mogadishu City Club, and South Sudan's Jamus SC.

The group also carries added Kenyan interest, with Harambee Stars forward Mohammed Bajaber expected to feature for Simba, while Haniff Wesonga and Joseph Waithera are on the books of Jamus SC.

Both Kenyan representatives will be making long-awaited returns to the CECAFA Kagame Cup.

Gor are back after missing the previous two editions, having last featured in 2024, while five-time champions Tusker return for the first time since their 2012 appearance, ending a 14-year absence from the regional tournament.

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The competition will be played in a three-group format, with the winners of each pool qualifying automatically for the semi-finals.

They will be joined by the best-performing second-placed team across the three groups to complete the last four.

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Unlike previous editions, this year's tournament will also feature a third-place playoff between the losing semi-finalists, ensuring the bronze medalists receive prize money in addition to the finalists.

Singida Black Stars head into the competition as defending champions after defeating Sudan's Al Hilal SC 2-1 in last year's final at KMC Stadium in Tanzania and will be aiming to retain their regional crown against another strong field.