The highly anticipated final of the CECAFA Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is set to take place today, September 24, at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's Ngorongoro Heroes will face off against Sudan in a bid to claim the regional title and conclude a successful campaign. Both teams have already secured their places at next year's continental finals in Ghana. The final is scheduled to kick off at 4 pm, while Uganda and Burundi will earlier face off in the third-place play-off at 12:30 pm.
The two finalists secured their places in Ghana after impressive semi-final victories on Tuesday. Sudan came from behind to beat Uganda 3-2, while hosts Tanzania defeated Burundi 2-0 to book their place in the championship match. The Sudanese team's victory over Uganda was particularly significant, as it marked their first-ever qualification for the U-20 AFCON finals. Sudan's Rudwan Yahya Mohamed Ishag, Mazin Fadul Albahli Taowr, and Derrick Ssozi were among the key players in the thrilling semi-final match.
For Ngorongoro Heroes, today's encounter provides an opportunity to crown a strong campaign with the regional title after defending their home record throughout the tournament. Tanzania entered the knockout stage with a perfect group record, beating Rwanda 3-0 and Ethiopia 4-0 without conceding a goal. The seven goals scored in those two matches made Mario Rivera Campesino's side one of the most productive teams in the group stage.
The hosts maintained their momentum in the semi-final against Burundi, scoring twice to secure their passage into the final. Juma Abushiri and Faraji Kayanda were on target as Tanzania completed another clean-sheet victory. The team's impressive performance has been a testament to their preparation and skill, and they will look to continue this trend in the final.
Sudan, on the other hand, will be looking to complete their historic campaign by lifting the regional trophy. The Sudanese team has gained confidence from their semi-final victory over Uganda and will be eager to take on Tanzania in the final. With both teams having secured their places at the U-20 AFCON finals, the focus will be on claiming the Cecafa U-20 crown.
The tournament, which brought together nine teams competing for the two Cecafa places at the Ghana finals, has been a significant milestone for the participating teams. CAF confirmed that both Tanzania and Sudan had qualified for the U-20 AFCON finals, marking a major achievement for the teams. The Cecafa U-20 qualifiers have provided a platform for teams to showcase their talent and prepare for the continental finals.
As the two teams prepare to face off in the final, Tanzania will have the advantage of playing before a home crowd at Uhuru Stadium, where all matches of the qualifiers have been staged. The Ngorongoro Heroes will look to capitalize on this advantage and claim the regional title, while Sudan will seek to pull off an upset and complete their historic campaign.
Key points
- Tanzania's Ngorongoro Heroes and Sudan will face off in the Cecafa U-20 final today, September 24.
- Both teams have already secured their places at next year's U-20 AFCON finals in Ghana.
- The final will conclude a tournament that has produced two Cecafa representatives for the 2027 Caf U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
