Rayon Sports draw Al Hilal, APR face Gor Mahia in 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup

Rwandan giants Rayon Sports will face Sudanese powerhouse Al Hilal SC in the group stage of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, while reigning Rwandan champions APR FC have been handed a tough Group A assignment alongside Kenyan record champions Gor Mahia following Friday’s official draw in Kigali.

The draw, conducted at Amahoro Stadium, set the stage for the 12-team regional tournament that will run from July 24 to August 7, with matches to be played at Amahoro Stadium and Kigali Pelé Stadium.

Former Rwanda international Haruna Niyonzima, one of the country’s most decorated midfielders, presided over the draw.

Niyonzima was selected as the guest conductor in recognition of his distinguished career representing three of the clubs participating in this year's competition—APR FC, Rayon Sports and Tanzania’s Simba SC.

Rayon Sports were placed in Group C, where they will battle Sudan’s Al Hilal SC, Kenya’s Tusker FC and Zanzibar representatives KVZ SC in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.

Al Hilal enters the competition as one of East and Central Africa's most successful clubs and are currently competing in Rwanda’s top-flight league because of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

APR FC, meanwhile, headline Group A, which also features Uganda’s Vipers SC, Kenya’s Gor Mahia and Djibouti’s FC Garde Républicaine.

The group is expected to produce several high-quality encounters, particularly the meeting between APR and Gor Mahia, two clubs with rich continental experience and multiple domestic league titles.

Group B consists of defending champions Singida Black Stars of Tanzania, fellow Tanzanian giants Simba SC, South Sudan’s Jamus FC and Somalia’s Mogadishu City Club.

Tournament organizers confirmed that only the winners of each group, along with the best-performing runner-up, will progress directly to the semi-finals.

The losing semi-finalists will contest the third-place playoff before the championship match.

The CECAFA Kagame Cup is the premier club competition organized by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), one of Africa's oldest regional football bodies.

Founded in 1927, the East and Central African club football tourney oversees football development and competitions across 12 member associations, including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Zanzibar.

The club championship itself dates back to 1974 and has long served as the region’s most prestigious inter-club tournament, providing teams with valuable international experience before CAF competitions.

Historically, Simba SC are the tournament’s most successful club with six titles, underlining their dominance in East African football.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Tusker FC have each lifted the trophy five times, while Kenya’s AFC Leopards boast four championships.

APR FC, SC Villa of Uganda and Sudan’s Al-Merrikh SC have each won the competition three times, placing them among the tournament's traditional heavyweights.

Among this year’s participants, Simba SC have won the competition six times, APR FC three times, Gor Mahia three times, Tusker FC five times, Singida Black Stars once and Rayon Sports once, having claimed their historic title in 1998.

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