2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup

The 2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup was 41st edition of the annual CECAFA Cup, an international football competition consisting of the national U-23 teams of member nations of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).

2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup

Tournament details
Host country	Ethiopia
Dates	17–30 July 2021
Teams	9 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Tanzania
Runners-up	Burundi
Third place	South Sudan
Fourth place	Kenya
Tournament statistics
Matches played	13
Goals scored	24 (1.85 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Ali Suleiman Ibrahim (3 goals)[1]
← 2019 2024 →

This year's tournament was reserved for U23 players but teams were allowed to field up to three players over 23.

It took place in Ethiopia from 17 July to 30 July 2021.^[2][3][4][5]

Uganda were the defending having won title in 2019.^[6] The Democratic Republic of the Congo participated as an invited team.^[7]

Participants

The FIFA World Ranking of participating Men's national football team as of 27 May 2021.^[8]

Country	Appearance	Previous best performance	FIFA ranking 27 May 2021
Burundi	23rd	Runner-Up (1990, 2013)	142
DR Congo	Debut (Invited)	None	94
Djibouti	13th	Group Stages	183
Eritrea	13th	Runner-Up (2019)	203
Ethiopia (Host)	34th	Champions (1987, 2001, 2004, 2005)	140
Kenya	37th	Champions (1995)	102
South Sudan	5th	Quarter-finals	169
Tanzania	62nd	Champions (1995, 2010)	137
Uganda	61st	Champions (1973, 1976, 1977, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015)	84

Venue

All matches are played at Bahir Dar International Stadium located in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Bahir Dar	Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar International Stadium
Capacity: 60,000

Match officials

Referees Ramadhan Kayoko (Tanzania) Thierry Nkurunziza (Burundi) Dickens Mimisa Nyagrowa (Kenya) Ronald Madanda (Uganda) Yannick Malala Kabanga (DR Congo) Saddam Houssein Mansour (Djibouti) Teklu Mogos Tsegay (Eritrea) Ring Malong (South Sudan) Haileyesus Bazezew Belete (Ethiopia)

Assistant Referees Kassim Mpanga (Tanzania) Thierry Kakunze (Burundi) Stephen Yiembe Eliezah (Kenya) Ronald Katenya (Uganda) Rachid Wais (Djibouti) Eyobel Michael Ghebru (Eritrea) Gasim Madir Dehiya (South Sudan) Fasika Biru Yehualashet (Ethiopia)

Draw

The draw ceremony of the tournament took place on 13 July 2021 15:00 local time in Addis Ababa. Nine teams were divided into 3 groups. The top finisher in each group and the best second-placed finisher will qualify for the Semi-finals.^[9]

Groupings

Group A	Group B	Group C
Uganda  Tanzania  DR Congo	Burundi  Ethiopia  Eritrea	Kenya  South Sudan  Djibouti

Group stage

Tiebreakers

Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 9.3)

1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
5. Goal difference in all group matches;
6. Goals scored in all group matches;
7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
8. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
9. Drawing of lots.

• All matches will be held at Bahir Dar
• Time listed are UTC+3:00

Key to colour in group tables
	The top finisher in each group and the best second-placed finisher will qualify for the Semi-finals

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Tanzania	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1	4	Advanced to Semi-finals
2	Uganda	2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
3	DR Congo	2	0	1	1	0	1	−1	1

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

Uganda	0–0	DR Congo
	Report

18 July 2021 (2021-07-18)

13:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Teklu Mogos Tsegay (Eritrea)

---

Tanzania	1–0	DR Congo
Lusajo 66'	Report

21 July 2021 (2021-07-21)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Haileyesus Bazezew Belete (Ethiopia)

---

Uganda	1–1	Tanzania
Mukwala 40'	Report	Raphael 31' (pen.)

24 July 2021 (2021-07-24)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Saddam Houssein Mansour (Djibouti)

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Burundi	2	1	1	0	4	1	+3	4	Advanced to Semi-finals
2	Ethiopia (H)	2	0	2	0	4	4	0	2
3	Eritrea	2	0	1	1	3	6	−3	1

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts

Ethiopia	3–3	Eritrea
Solomo 10' Nassir 41' (pen.), 56'	Report	Ibrahim 38', 63', 72'

17 July 2021 (2021-07-17)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Ronald Madanda (Uganda)

---

Burundi	3–0	Eritrea
Nsihimirimana 16' Rukundo 53' Hakizimana 81'	Report

20 July 2021 (2021-07-20)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Ring Malong (South Sudan)

---

Ethiopia	1–1	Burundi
Gugesa 44'	Report	Hakzimana 66'

23 July 2021 (2021-07-23)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Dickens Mimisa Nyagrowa (Kenya)

Group C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Kenya	2	2	0	0	5	0	+5	6	Advance to Semi-finals
2	South Sudan	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3	Qualified as a Best Runner up
3	Djibouti	2	0	0	2	0	5	−5	0

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

Djibouti	0–3	Kenya
	Report	Collins 11' Otieno 63' Ochieng 88'

18 July 2021 (2021-07-18)

16:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Yannick Malala Kabanga (DR Congo)

---

South Sudan	0–2	Kenya
	Report	Otieno 51' Omalla 79'

21 July 2021 (2021-07-21)

13:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Thierry Nkurunziza (Burundi)

---

Djibouti	0–2	South Sudan
	Report	Aluk 87' Kornelio 90+5' (pen.)

24 July 2021 (2021-07-24)

13:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Ramadhan Kayoko (Tanzania)

Knockout stage

• In the knockout stage, extra-time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.

Bracket

	Semi-finals				Final
	27 July – Bahir Dar
	Tanzania	1
					30 July – Bahir Dar
	South Sudan	0
					Tanzania (pen.)	0 (6)
	27 July – Bahir Dar
					Burundi	0 (5)
	Burundi (pen.)	0 (4)
	Kenya	0 (2)
					Third place match
					29 July– Bahir Dar
					South Sudan	1
					Kenya	0

Semi-finals

Tanzania	1–0	South Sudan
Naftal 65'	Report

27 July 2021 (2021-07-27)

11:45

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Haileyesus Bazezew Belete (Ethiopia)

Burundi	0–0	Kenya
	Report
Penalties
	4–2

27 July 2021 (2021-07-27)

14:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Ronald Madanda (Uganda)

Third place match

South Sudan	1–0	Kenya
Gumanock 78'	Report

29 July 2021

11:45

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Teklu Mogos Tsegay (Eritrea)

Final

Tanzania	0–0	Burundi
	Report
Penalties
	6–5

30 July 2021

14:00

Bahir Dar International Stadium, Bahir Dar

Referee: Saddam Houssein Mansour (Djibouti)

Statistics

Goalscorers

There have been 23 goals scored in 13 matches, for an average of 1.77 goals per match.

4 goals

• Ali Suleiman Ibrahim

2 goals

• Issa Hakizimana
• Abubeker Nasir Ahmed

1 goal

• Chernet Gugsa
• Willam Solomo
• Njuguna Collins
• Otieno Reagan
• Oluoch Ochieng
• Relliant Lusajo
• Ismael Nsihimirimana
• Abdourahmani Rukundo
• Steven Mukwala
• Brynson Raphael
• Mabior Akeck Aluk
• Dominic Angelo Kornelio
• Kevin Naftal
• Dani Kumanock