The spotlight of East and Central African football will be on Kigali Pelé Stadium this Tuesday as the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026 reaches the semifinal stage, with four clubs battling for a place in the tournament’s final.
After an exciting group stage that saw several tournament favorites eliminated, the competition now enters its decisive phase with two highly anticipated encounters.
The headline fixture will see Rwanda’s Rayon Sports take on South Sudan’s Jamus SC at 7:00 p.m. local time.
Rayon Sports booked their place in the semifinals after topping Group C, which also featured Al Hilal SC, Tusker FC, and KVZ FC. Jamus SC, meanwhile, finished first in Group B, ahead of defending champions Singida Black Stars, Simba SC, and Mogadishu City.
Both sides remain unbeaten in this year’s tournament, but only one will advance to the final.
Rayon Sports head coach Francis Haringingo acknowledged the quality of his opponents, noting that Jamus SC exceeded expectations by emerging from one of the tournament’s toughest groups.
“They came out of a very difficult group that included the defending champions and Simba SC. In football, anything is possible, and what they have achieved shows they are a strong team. It won’t be an easy match,” Haringingo said.
He added that the South Sudanese side has changed considerably since the two clubs met in a friendly match last month at Gicumbi Stadium, where Rayon Sports secured a thrilling 4-3 victory.
“They have brought in several new players, so we expect a different team. We are well prepared.”
Jamus SC head coach Saber Ben Jabria dismissed suggestions that playing in front of Rayon Sports’ passionate home supporters would affect his squad.
“We are not intimidated by the home crowd. The players are ready and eager to show what they can do,” he said.
Rayon Sports are aiming to reclaim regional glory for the first time in nearly three decades.
The Rwandan giants became the country’s first club to win the CECAFA Kagame Cup outside Rwanda in 1998. Since then, only ATRACO FC has lifted the regional title for Rwanda, doing so in 2009.
Rayon have not reached the tournament final since their triumph in 1998, while their most recent semifinal appearance came in 2013, when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Burundi’s Vital’ô FC.
Club captain Emmanuel Nshimiyimana “Kabange” said the current squad is determined to write its own chapter in the club’s history.
“Most of us were either very young or not even born when Rayon Sports last won this trophy in 1998. We want to create our own history and be remembered as the generation that brought the CECAFA title back to the club and Rwanda,” he said.
However, that journey begins with overcoming Jamus SC in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Jamus SC have already made history by becoming the first South Sudanese club to reach the semifinals of the CECAFA Kagame Cup.
A victory over Rayon Sports would see the club reach its first-ever final, marking another significant milestone for football in South Sudan.
Earlier in the day, at 3:00 p.m., Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC will face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in the other semifinal.
Gor Mahia progressed after finishing top of Group A, while Al Hilal advanced as the best second-placed team.
The winners of Tuesday’s matches will meet in the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026 final, with the regional championship now just one victory away.