2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup: Difference between revisions

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)
Tournament statistics
Matches played	11
Goals scored	22 (2 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Ali Suleiman Ibrahim (3 goals)
← 2019 2023 → All statistics correct as of 27 July 2021.

The 2021 CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup is the ongoing 41st edition of the annual CECAFA Cup U-23 Challenge 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.^[1][2][3][4]

Uganda were the defending having won title in 2019.^[5] The Democratic Republic of the Congo participated as an invited team.^[6]

The FIFA World Ranking of participating Men's national football team as of 27 May 2021.^[7]

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

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

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.^[8]

Group A	Group B	Group C
Uganda  Tanzania  DR Congo	Burundi  Ethiopia  Eritrea	Kenya  South Sudan  Djibouti

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

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

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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	Ethiopia (H)	2	0	2	0	4	4	0	2
3	Eritrea	2	0	1	1	3	6	−3	1

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

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

	Semi-finals				Final
	27 July – Bahir Dar
	Tanzania	1
					30 July – Bahir Dar
	South Sudan	0
					Tanzania
	27 July – Bahir Dar
					Burundi
	Burundi (p)	0 (4)
	Kenya	0 (2)
					Third place match
					30 July– Bahir Dar
					South Sudan
					Kenya

There were 22 goals scored in 11 matches, for an average of 2 goals per match (as of 27 July 2021).

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal