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CECAFA Praises Eritrea for Good Organizing

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

With the CECAFA U-20 tourney due to kick off in Asmara on Saturday, the General Secretary of the regional football body Nicholas Musonye, on Friday, praised Eritrea for its great responsibility and the good organization for the regional soccer event.

During a press conference at the end of the organizing committee meeting on Friday morning Musonye said that he appreciated how Eritrea is managing to host the big event and that he was hopeful of a successful end to the match.

"It is not easy to assemble nine teams from different countries at one place, and on Behalf of CECAFA president and the Executive committee we are very grateful to the Eritrean government, football federation and people of Eritrea for embracing this huge responsibility" the CECAFA General Secretary said.

"All the teams have already arrived safely and have been stationed at high quality hotels with good hospitality so I really appreciate that matter" he added.

He said that he was here in Asmara a month ago, and he was very confident of what he met in Eritrea at that time saying that this small country showed its great preparation for the big football event.

According to Nicholas Musonye, Eritrea will also host the CECAFA women's tournament next year.

Eritrean Football Federation President and the Chairman of the local organizing committee, Tesfaye Gebreyesus, for his part said that his federation and government had done their utmost to be able to host the tournament successfully.

"As Eritrea, we are very jubilant at hosting this regional football event and although it is the first time for us, we are hopeful that every thing will go smoothly" the Eritrean Football Federation President told reporters.

Nine countries are taking part in this year's CECAFA U-20 tourney and they are as follows: Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Yemen which is not in the region, but was invited, according to Secretary General Nicholas Musonye. Ethiopia, Djibouti and Burundi are missing from the competition.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze.