2018 CECAFA Women Championship:
- Winner: Tanzania ($ 2500)
- 1st Runners up: Uganda ($ 1500)
- 2nd Runners up: Ethiopia ($1000)
Individual Accolades:
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): Issa Fatuma Maonyo (Tanzania)
- Best Goalkeeper: Ruth Aturo (Uganda)
- Top Scorers: Meselu Abera Tesfamariam (Ethiopia) and Donisia Daniel Minja (Tanzania) – 3 goals apiece
Tanzania national women football team, Kilimanjaro Queens are the winners of the 2018 CECAFA Women championship.
This was confirmed after their 4-1 comprehensive victory against Ethiopia at the Kigali Regional stadium, Nyamirambo on Friday.
Like Uganda who finished, Tanzania also finished on seven but won the championship with a superior goal difference (plus 5) and Uganda had a deficit of one goal.
Horn of Africa nation Ethiopia came third with six points.
Pre-tournament favourites Kenya failed to live with the billing settling in fourth place after a hard fought 2-0 win over hosts Rwanda on the final day of the championship.
Rwanda were fifth in the fortnight tourney played on a round robin basis.
Addressing guests and teams after the tourney, CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye, as quoted by Daily Sports News, lauded FIFA and CAF for their financial support towards women football development in the region.
The FIFA forward programme is a really a game changer in our zone. For many years, people used to complain that CECAFA had no interest in women Football. Yes, they were right because we could not organise women and youth competitions without resources.But when FIFA leadership decided to give some focus on zones were relieved. We have so far organised a high profile Under-17 event in Burundi in April and we have now staged a successful Women Challenge Cup in Rwanda. The FIFA initiative is really a big boost to the development of football in our zone. Our ladies have really demonstrated their appetite in the field of play and they are really a pleasant cast to watch. We really thank FIFA and CAF for giving an opportunity to exploit their potential both at Youth and Women level. Cecafa shall continue to take advantage of this noble initiative to organise more youth and women activities in the region.
As winners, Tanzania pocketed $2500 as prize money.
Uganda Crested Cranes were rewarded with $ 1500 and Ethiopia took home $ 1000.
Tanzania’s talented gem, Issa Fatuma Maonyo was named most valuable player (MVP), Ruth Aturo of Uganda took home the best goalkeeper accolade while the top scorer’s gong was shared by Ethiopia’s Meselu Abera Tesfamariam and Donisia Daniel Minja of the champion side,Tanzania.
Both Tesfamariam and Minja each scored three goals.
The venue for the 2019 edition is yet to be confirmed.
