CECAFA Quarter-finals:
Uganda 2 (2) – 2 (3) Tanzania
Kenya 1 -0 Rwanda
The Council for East and Central Football Association (CECAFA) has in a great spirit of sportsmanship and humanity paid a glowing tribute to the fallen Pan African and anti-apartheid castigator, Nelson Mandela with a one minute honor before the start of the opening 2 quarter-final fixtures played at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium in Kenya.
Nelson Mandela had his last breath during the opening hours of 6th December 2013 at his home in South Africa. “As a great African and global icon, special tribute had to be accorded to Mandela”, Mombasa governor, Ali Hassan Joho said in an exclusive interview with Kawowo Sports at the Mombasa stadium.
During the opening games of the 2013 quarterfinals, that involved, Uganda’s heart breaking penalty loss to Tanzania and the second game of the day (Kenya’s narrow 1-0 win over Rwanda), a minute silence was honored in the stadium with players of either sides at the center arc while the entire stadium stood on attention for the full 60 minutes in respect of the leader, who promoted equality among the human race, loved sports to his best and was an advocate of fair democracy.
The CECAFA football event, which is held every after 2 years, is the oldest tournament on the entire African continent and it is played by countries from the East, horn of Africa and Central regions.
Nelson Mandela, who died aged 95, will be remembered as a world-wide global pillar of peace, reconciliation, social justice and a promoter of sports.
His enormous involvement in various sporting disciplines as rugby, football should be an eye opener to the many African leaders who possess the resources at their disposal.
World influential personalities ranging from sporting icons, politicians, businessmen, the lee men, the young and old are all still praising the late Mandela.
It should be remembered, Mandela played a crucial role in South Africa’s hosting of the 1996 football African Nations Cup (that they won on home soil), the 2006 rugby world cup (again they won the trophy on home turf) and the world’s biggest sporting fiesta – The Football World Cup.
Thank you Cecafa for honoring the great man, Nelson Mandela, rest in peace eternal.
