The 2012 Kagame Interclub Cup was the 37th edition of the Kagame Interclub Cup, which is organised by CECAFA. It began on 14 July and ended on 28 July 2012. Tanzania hosted the tournament for their eleventh time since it officially began in 1974, when they were also hosts. The tournament made Wau Salaam the first South Sudanese club to take part in an international club tournament.

Defending champions Young Africans picked up their fifth title of the competition after beating fellow Tanzanians Azam in the final.

Broadcasting SuperSport secured official rights to broadcast all games played in the tournament. They used their SS9 (SuperSport 9) and SS9E (SuperSport 9 East) channels.

Participants On 29 June 2012, the draw for clubs to participate in the tournament was released. Young Africans, the winning team, received a cash prize of US$ 30,000, while the runners-up and third-placed teams, Azam and Vita Club respectively, received cash prizes US$ 20,000 and US$ 10,000 respectively. The budget of the tournament is said to be around US$ 600,000. Matches are being played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam and the Azam Stadium in Chamazi.

The following 11 clubs took part in the competition:

Group A Port Simba U.R.A. Vita Club (invited guests)

Group B Azam Mafunzo Tusker

Group C A.P.R. Atlético Olympic Wau Salaam Young Africans

Match officials CECAFA appointed 15 officials to participate in the tournament. Referees

Thierry Nkurunziza Farah Aden Anthony Ogwayo Issa Kagabo Israel Mujuni Dennis Batte Waziri Sheha

Assistant referees

Abdulahi Mahamoud Elias Kuloba Peter Sabatia Simba Honore Hamis Changwalu Jesse Erasmo Musa Balikoowa Josephat Bulali

Group stage The group stage featured 11 teams, with 4 teams in Group A and Group C and 3 in Group B. The matchdays were 14–15, 17–18, 19, 20 and 21 July. (Venues) (Venues)

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in descending order): Number of points obtained in games between the teams involved; Goal difference in games between the teams involved; Goals scored in games between the teams involved; Away goals scored in games between the teams involved; Goal difference in all games; Goals scored in all games; Drawing of lots.

Nine CECAFA associations were represented in the group stage: Tanzania by three clubs and Burundi, Congo DR, Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Zanzibar.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Knockout stage The knockout stage involved the eight teams which advanced from the group stage: the top three teams from Group A and Group C and the top two from Group B.

In this stage, teams play against each other once. The losers of the semi-finals play against each other in the third place playoff where the winners are placed third overall in the entire competition and receive US$ 10,000. The winners of the final receive US$30,000 and the runners-up US$20,000.

Bracket

Quarter-finals The quarter-finals were played on 23–24 July 2012.

In the first quarter-final, Uganda Revenue Authority, who had lost the 2008 final in to Tusker, faced Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, who had already beaten them 2–1 five years earlier to clinch the title in 2007. The latter won the match 2–1. Mafunzo, in the second quarter-final, were beaten 5–3 on penalties by Young Africans, who are seeking their fifth title in the competition, after the match ended in a 1–1 stalemate after 90 minutes.

Atlético Olympic, making their first appearance at the tournament as only the second Burundian club ever to participate, were edged out 2–1 in the third quarter-final by Vita Club, also competing for their first time. Azam completed a surprise upset in the fourth quarter-final over six-time champions and fellow Tanzanians Simba, beating them 3–1 to advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals The semi-finals will be played on 26 July 2012.

In the first semi-final Vita Club will be up against Azam, both of whom have performed impressively for newcomers in this year's competition, having reached the semi-finals ahead of more experienced clubs.

Armée Patriotique Rwandaise will face Young Africans for a second time in the tournament, having lost 2–0 to them in the group stage.

Third place playoff The third place playoff was played on 28 July 2012, right before the final.

Final The final was played on 28 July 2012, right after the third place playoff. To reach the final, in the knockout stage Azam defeated six-time champions Simba and Vita Club, while Young Africans eliminated Mafunzo and Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, whom they had already beaten in the group stage.

Azam, making their first ever appearance at the tournament, were the fifth team from Tanzania to reach the final and the fourth to reach the final with Tanzania as the hosts, the last being defending champions Young Africans in 1986. The match was also the third final in which both finalists were from Tanzania, and the second final hosted by Tanzania in which both finalists were from Tanzania.

GK 1 Ally MustaphaRB 3 Stephano Mwasika CB 4 Oscar JoshuaCB 23 Nadir Haroub (c)LB 5 Kelvin YondanCM 24 Athuman IddCM 16 Rashid Gumbo CM 8 Haruna Niyonzima SS 29 David LuhendeCF 11 Said BahanunziCF 20 Hamis Kizza Substitutions:MF 13 Juma Seif  Manager: Tom Saintfiet

GK 27 Deogratius MunishiRB 21 Ibrahim Shikanda CB 6 Erasto NyoniCB 13 Aggrey Morris (c)LB 15 Said MoradiDM 30 Ramadhani Chombo CM 4 Ibrahim Mwaipopo CM 25 Jabir StimaSS 8 Salum SalumCF 10 Kipre Tchetche CF 19 John BoccoSubstitutions:FW 16 Mrisho Ngassa DF 11 Samir Nuhu Manager: Stewart Hall

Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions.

Top scorers A total of 77 goals was scored by 46 different players in the entire tournament. Rank Name Team Goals1 Said Bahanunzi Young Africans 72 Tady Etekiama Association Sportive Vita Club 6 Hamis Kizza Young Africans 4 John Bocco Azam 55 Jean-Baptiste Mugiraneza Armée Patriotique Rwandaise 3 Robert Ssentongo Uganda Revenue Authority7 Selemani Ndikumana Armée Patriotique Rwandaise 2 Leonel Saint-Preux Basilua Makola Association Sportive Vita Club Kazadi Mutombo Abdalla Juma Simba Feni Ali Uganda Revenue Authority13 Jean-Claude Iranzi Armée Patriotique Rwandaise 1 Olivier Karekezi Barnabe Mubumbyi Ayuk Roland Agbor Association Sportive du Port Magola Mapanda Association Sportive Vita Club Alfred Mfongang Emmanuel Ngudikama Romaric Rogombé Hussein Ciza Atlético Olympic Divin Gateretse Didier Kavumbagu Pierre Kwizera Kevin Ndayisenga Olivier Ndikumana Emery Nimubona Frederick Nsabiyumwa Mrisho Ngassa Azam Mohamed Abdulrahim Mafunzo Ali Juma Hassan Juma Jaku Ally Othman Mbanga Salum Said Shebe Shomari Kapombe Simba Haruna Moshi Felix Sunzu Sula Bagala Uganda Revenue Authority Samuel Mubiru Augustine Nsumba Erias Ssekisambu Khamis Deshama Ulama Wau Salaam Nadir Haroub Young Africans Athuman Idd Nizar Khalfan Haruna Niyonzima

See also 2012 CECAFA Cup

References