Hosts, Uganda will face off with Zanzibar in the final of the CECAFA U-15 Boys Championship 2023 at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru on Thursday, November 15.

The Uganda Rhinos will be looking to defend the title they won in 2019 when they defeated neighbours Kenya 4-0 in Eritrea to emerge champions of the inaugural regional competition.

“We are going to defend the title,” the Rhinos head coach Hamuza Lutalo affirmed.

To reach the final, Uganda beat Tanzania 2-1 in the first semi final, as Zanzibar beat South Sudan 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in full time.

If Uganda clinch this title, they’ll have done so unbeaten, just like they did in the first edition.

This edition, the defending Champions, right from the group stages have so far won all their games without conceeding a single goal until the semi final.

Uganda recorded the highest score in the tournament, thrashing Djibouti 15-0, before going on to defeat South Sudan 3-0, Ethiopia 4-0 and Tanzania 2-1 respectively – scoring 24 goals and conceding just once in the process.

The tournament attracted Uganda, Zanzibar, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia.