Rwanda’s Rayon Sports, Sudanese giants Al Hilal, Kenya’s Gor Mahia and South Sudan’s Jamus SC have secured places in the semifinals, setting up two exciting clashes as teams battle for a place in the final.
Rayon Sports booked their semifinal spot in style, finishing the group stage with a perfect record after winning all three matches.
The Rwandan side defeated Al Hilal 1-0 on Saturday at Amahoro Stadium, with Antonio Atisso Kodjo scoring the decisive goal in the 16th minute. The victory saw Rayon finish top of their group with nine points, having shown both attacking quality and defensive resilience throughout the opening stage.
The Blues will now face Jamus SC, one of the tournament’s surprise performers, in the second semifinal.
Jamus SC, representing South Sudan, reached the knockout stage after impressive displays against more established regional sides, earning recognition as one of the emerging teams in this year’s competition.
Rayon Sports head coach Christian Haringingo said reaching the semifinals was an important step for his team as they continue preparations for the new season.
“This is part of pre-season and we are now ready to face any team in the semifinal stage,” Haringingo said.
In the other semifinal, Al Hilal will take on Kenya’s Gor Mahia in a clash expected to attract attention across the region.
Despite losing to Rayon Sports, Al Hilal advanced as the best second-placed team after collecting six points from the group stage. The Sudanese side showed attacking threat throughout the tournament and will look to bounce back when they face Gor Mahia.
Gor Mahia, one of East Africa’s most decorated clubs, secured their place in the last four after a strong group-stage campaign and will be aiming to add another regional title to their historic record.
Meanwhile, Tusker FC and Zanzibar’s KVZ SC were eliminated after finishing third and fourth respectively in their group.
Tusker ended their campaign with a 2-0 victory over KVZ SC, with Ian Simiyu and Victor Mbaoma scoring the goals, but the result was not enough to keep the Kenyan side in contention.
The semifinals will be played on August 4 at Kigali Pele Stadium, with the remaining teams now focused on taking the final steps toward lifting the CECAFA Kagame Cup trophy.
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