Overview
The 2015 CECAFA Cup, officially the 37th CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, was the regional football championship for national teams of member associations of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). The tournament was held in Ethiopia from 20 November to 28 November 2015.
Host selection
Ethiopia was appointed as the host nation after the original host, Kenya, withdrew due to administrative issues within the Kenyan Football Federation. The Ethiopian Football Federation organised the competition on short notice.
Venues
Matches were played at two stadiums:
- Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa – primary venue for the final and most knockout‑stage matches.
- Hawassa Stadium, Hawassa – used for group‑stage fixtures.
Both venues meet CAF (Confederation of African Football) standards for international matches.
Participating nations
Twelve CECAFA member associations entered the competition:
- Ethiopia (hosts)
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Burundi
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Somalia
- Djibouti
- Zanzibar (representative of Tanzania)
- Eritrea (withdrew prior to the tournament)
Tournament format
The twelve teams were divided into three groups (A, B, C) of four teams each. The top team from each group and the best‑placed second‑placed team advanced to the semi‑finals.
Group stage results
Group A – Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia
Group B – Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi
Group C – Rwanda, South Sudan, Zanzibar, Eritrea (withdrawn, matches awarded as walk‑overs)
Exact match scores and final group standings are recorded in the official CECAFA tournament report (CECAFA, 2015).
Knockout stage
-
Semi‑finals
- Uganda defeated Ethiopia.
- Rwanda defeated Tanzania.
-
Third‑place match
- Ethiopia secured third place by beating Tanzania.
-
Final
- Uganda defeated Rwanda 2 – 0 to claim the championship. The match was held at Addis Ababa Stadium.
Champion
Uganda won its 14th CECAFA Cup title.
Individual awards
- Top scorer – Information on the tournament’s leading goal‑scorer is not conclusively documented in publicly available CECAFA archives.
- Best player (MVP) – Not officially published by CECAFA for the 2015 edition.
- Best goalkeeper – Not officially published by CECAFA for the 2015 edition.
Significance
The 2015 edition marked Uganda’s return to the summit of East and Central African football after a four‑year gap. It also demonstrated Ethiopia’s capacity to host an international tournament on short notice.
References
- Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). Official Report of the 2015 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup. Addis Ababa: CECAFA, 2015.
- Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF Competition Calendar 2015.
- Various contemporary news outlets (e.g., BBC Sport, Goal.com) reporting on match results and tournament outcomes.
