2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup

2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup

Tournament details
Host country	Ethiopia
Dates	17–30 July 2021
Teams	9 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Tanzania
Runners-up	Burundi
Third place	South Sudan
Fourth place	Kenya
Tournament statistics
Matches played	13
Goals scored	24 (1.85 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Ali Suleiman Ibrahim (4 goals)[1]
← 2019 →

The 2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup was 41st edition of the annual CECAFA Cup, an international football competition consisting of the national U-23 teams of member nations of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).

This year's tournament was reserved for U23 players but teams were allowed to field up to three players over 23.

It took place in Ethiopia from 17th July to 30th July 2021.^[2][3][4][5]

Uganda were the defending having won title in 2019.^[6] The Democratic Republic of the Congo participated as an invited team.^[7]

Participants[]

The FIFA World Ranking of participating Men's national football team as of 27 May 2021.^[8]

Country	Appearance	Previous best performance	FIFA ranking 27 May 2021
Burundi	23rd	Runner-Up (1990, 2013)	142
DR Congo	Debut (Invited)	None	94
Djibouti	13th	Group Stages	183
Eritrea	13th	Runner-Up (2019)	203
Ethiopia (Host)	34th	Champions (1987, 2001, 2004, 2005)	140
Kenya	37th	Champions (1995)	102
South Sudan	5th	Quarter-finals	169
Tanzania	62nd	Champions (1995, 2010)	137
Uganda	61st	Champions (1973, 1976, 1977, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015)	84

Venue[]

All matches are played at Bahir Dar International Stadium located in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Bahir Dar	Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar International Stadium
Capacity: 60,000

Match officials[]

Draw[]

The draw ceremony of the tournament took place on 13th July 2021 15:00 local time in Addis Ababa. Nine team's were divided into 3 groups. The top finisher in each group and the best second-placed finisher will qualify for the Semi-finals.^[9]

Groupings[]

Group A	Group B	Group C
	Burundi

Group stage[]

Tiebreakers

Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 9.3)

1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
5. Goal difference in all group matches;
6. Goals scored in all group matches;
7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
8. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
9. Drawing of lots.

• All matches will be held at Bahir Dar
• Time listed are UTC+3:00

Key to colour in group tables
	The top finisher in each group and the best second-placed finisher will qualify for the Semi-finals

Group A[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1		2	1	1	0	2	1	+1	4	Advanced to Semi-finals
2		2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
3		2	0	1	1	0	1	−1	1

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Group B[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Burundi	2	1	1	0	4	1	+3	4	Advanced to Semi-finals
2	(H)	2	0	2	0	4	4	0	2
3		2	0	1	1	3	6	−3	1

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Group C[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1		2	2	0	0	5	0	+5	6	Advance to Semi-finals
2		2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3	Qualified as a Best Runner up
3		2	0	0	2	0	5	−5	0

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Knockout stage[]

• In the knockout stage, extra-time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.

Bracket[]

	Semi-finals				Final
	27 July – Bahir Dar
		1
					30 July – Bahir Dar
		0
					(pen.)	0 (6)
	27 July – Bahir Dar
					Burundi	0 (5)
	Burundi (pen.)	0 (4)
		0 (2)
					Third place match
					29 July– Bahir Dar
						1
						0

Semi-finals[]

Third place match[]

Final[]

Statistics[]

Goalscorers[]

There were 23 goals scored in 13 matches, for an average of 1.77 goals per match.

4 goals

2 goals

1 goal

References[]