The groups for the 2026 Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations U-17 Women’s Championship have been confirmed following the official draw held in Kampala on Thursday.
The tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam from 13 to 23 June, will feature seven national teams from across the region, including first-time participants Somalia women’s national under-17 football team and Sudan women’s national under-17 football team.
The draw was conducted at the FUFA TV headquarters by Andrew Jackson Oryada, the Head of Marketing and Communication.
Hosts Tanzania women’s national under-17 football team were placed in Group A alongside Kenya women’s national under-17 football team, Somalia and Sudan.
Group B will consist of Uganda women’s national under-17 football team, South Sudan women’s national under-17 football team and Djibouti women’s national under-17 football team.
The opening day of the competition will see Kenya take on Sudan in the first fixture on 13 June, before Tanzania face Somalia later the same day at KMC Stadium.
Tournament organisers believe the participation of Somalia and Sudan represents an important development for women’s youth football in the region.
“We are delighted that Somalia and Sudan will for the first time take part in the Championship which also provides Member Associations in the Zone with the opportunity to build the Women’s Youth teams,” Oryada said.
The inclusion of the two debutant nations increases the regional representation within the competition and reflects wider efforts to expand women’s football development across East and Central Africa.
The championship is expected to provide emerging players with valuable competitive experience while also strengthening youth structures among member associations.
Tanzania, as hosts, will aim to use home advantage to challenge for the title, while Uganda and Kenya are also expected to be among the contenders in the regional tournament.
The competition forms part of a wider football calendar organised by CECAFA during 2026.
Other events scheduled across the year include the CECAFA Kagame Cup, the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers, CAF U-20 CECAFA qualifiers, the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers and the CAF U-17 CECAFA qualifiers.
The announcement of the groups marks another step in preparations for the tournament as participating nations begin finalising plans ahead of the championship in Tanzania.
With the competition now only weeks away, attention is expected to turn towards squad preparations and the development of women’s youth football in a region increasingly investing in the women’s game.
The presence of new teams alongside more established regional sides is also likely to add further intrigue to the championship as CECAFA continues efforts to expand opportunities for young female footballers across East and Central Africa.
