KIGALI — Sudanese football giants Al Hilal SC have contributed US$100,000 (about Rwf 145m) to support the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup.
It now becomes an official partner of the regional club tournament that kicks off later this month in Kigali.
The contribution was announced on Friday during the tournament draw, held at Amahoro Stadium, where officials from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) and the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) unveiled the groups for the competition.
The tournament will run from July 24 to August 7, bringing together 12 clubs from across East and Central Africa to compete at Amahoro Stadium and Kigali Pele Stadium.
Al Hilal, one of Sudan’s most successful football clubs, is among the teams competing in this year’s edition alongside defending champions Singida Black Stars of Tanzania, Simba SC, APR FC, Rayon Sports, Vipers SC and Gor Mahia.
The CECAFA Kagame Cup is one of the region’s oldest club competitions and serves as an important warm-up tournament for teams preparing for the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. It has carried the Kagame name since 2002 after Rwanda became its principal sponsor.
Al Hilal’s contribution comes as the club continues to operate from Rwanda following the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in 2023, which forced many Sudanese football activities to relocate abroad.
Ikipe ya Al Hilal SC yo muri Sudani yateye inkunga y’ibihumbi 100 by’amadolari, irushanwa rya CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026 izabera mu Rwanda kuva tariki 24 Nyakanga 2026.
Ni amasezerano yasinyiwe kuri Hoteli ya FERWAFA i Remera, asinywa hagati y’Impuzamashyirahamwe y’Umupira w’Amaguru… pic.twitter.com/STthN2TCwt
— Kigali Today (@kigalitoday) July 10, 2026
The club has spent recent seasons playing home matches outside Sudan and was invited to participate in Rwanda’s 2025/26 BK Pro League as a guest team.
Al Hilal went on to win the league title while using Rwanda as its training and competition base.
The arrangement has enabled the club to remain competitive and continue participating in continental football despite the conflict at home.
For Rwanda, hosting Sudanese clubs has reinforced its growing role as a regional sports hub, with the country increasingly staging major football tournaments and providing facilities for teams displaced by conflict.
This year’s Kagame Cup will feature clubs from Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti and Zanzibar, with the group winners and the best-performing runner-up advancing to the semifinals.
