Somalia Retains CECAFA Executive Committee Position

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

Somalia has successfully retained its executive committee member in the council of east and central African football Associations (CECAFA) with Somali FA secretary General Abdi Qani said Arab to the executive committee member.

CECAFA President Leodegar Tenga of Tanzania and his secretary General Nicholas Musonye of Kenya also retained their seats of the regional football governing body election which was held in Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam on Thursday.

President Tenga who also leads Tanzanian football federation was unanimously elected after his supposed challenger the president of Djibouti Football Federation Mr. Hussein Fadoul Dabar failed to come to Tanzania for the election.

"After a marathon-four day meetings and hard work, we have ended successfully and are now looking forward to the start of our competition tomorrow," Nicholas Musonye told a post election press conference on Thursday.

"Our election has successfully concluded and the following people were elected as the CECAFA executive committee members: Mr. leodegar Tenga is the president and will serve for the next four years and his executive committee members are: Abdi Qani Said Arab of Somalia, Tariq Atta Salih from Sudan, Sahilu Wolde from Ethiopia and Raul Gisanura from Rwanda. The executive committee members will serve for two years," CECAFA secretary General Nicholas Musonye said in his post election press conference.

Four other executive committee candidates who failed in the election are: Justus Mugisha from Uganda, Tesfaye Gebreyesus from Eritrea, Hafish Ali Taher from zansibar and Abubakar Nkejinama of Burundi.

"Last night's CECAFA executive committee meeting approved that Kenya will host 2012 senior challenge cup and Ethiopia to host 2013 Kagame cup. Rwanda will either host club cup 2013 or the senior Cup but still talks on that matter are underway. Burundi will host the first women's championship 2013," he added.

Mean hile, Somalia will encounter Burundi in the CECAFA senior Tusker challenge cup opening match on Friday according to the schedule of the tournament. Somalia is in Group B with Uganda, Burundi and Zanzibar.

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