Azam FC of Tanzania withdraws from the Kagame Cup, a blow for CECAFA

Azam FC of Tanzania’s Premier League has pulled out of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations’ (CECAFA) Kagame Cup competition, which was scheduled for next month.

The two-time CECAFA Kagame Cup winners have made the decision to skip the regional competition in order to concentrate on getting ready for the arduous 2024–2025 season.

Azam participated in the event, which was last hosted in Dar four years ago, along with sixteen other teams, according to a press release issued by CECAFA earlier this week. In an interview with Azam TV, the club’s head of media relations, Thabit “Zaka Za Kazi” Zakaria, verified the story, which was cited by the Guardian.

According to Zakaria, Azam has not pulled out of the competition; rather, they have asked for a postponement until a later date in August because of logistical concerns related to the preseason.

We haven’t actually pulled out of the competition, but we think the dates of the event are unfavorable. Therefore, we have asked for a new date for the tournament. Not because we’ve withdrew, but rather because we have other things to do to get ready for the remainder of the season on those dates.

“We will begin training for the upcoming season on July 5 and the competition is set to begin on July 6.” All of our players will report for camp on July 4; training will begin on July 5.

“After the holiday break, players’ first training sessions are focused on improving their fitness and getting them in shape rather than playing football. Thus, you might dedicate the first two weeks to that.

Preparation for the upcoming season usually needs to take at least six weeks. It might not be feasible due to the demanding schedule, but it shouldn’t be any less than four weeks. Therefore, before we begin playing in any sort of competition, we need to train for four weeks, which is the entire month of July.

As a result, we have requested that the tournament be rescheduled until August. In order for us to replenish our supplies before embarking on a lengthy season trip, they ought to set a new date for August and beyond, he remarked.

Azam defeated Geita Gold 2-0 on the road at Nyankumbu Ground on the last day of the season to secure second place in the Premier League rankings, beating Simba on goal differential.As a result, Azam was guaranteed a spot in the CAF Champions League for the following season, joining Young Africans, the winners, as the representatives of Mainland Tanzania.

The Community Shield, which begins on August 8, 2024, will be Azam’s first competition of the new season. Next up is the 2024–2025 CAF Champions League Preliminary Round, which is set for August 16–18, 2024.