Bandari land Mapinduzi Cup invite
Bandari FC players celebrate their second goal against Shabana FC during their FKF Premier League match at KPA Mbaraki grounds in Mombasa on November 5, 2023.
What you need to know:
- This invite, pending clearance from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), will pit the Kenyan club against some of the biggest teams in the region.
- These include Tanzania’s Simba SC, Yanga and Azam, alongside Burundian bigwigs Vital ‘O’.
Bandari FC have landed an invite to compete at the annual Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar.
This invite, pending clearance from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), will pit the Kenyan club against some of the biggest teams in the region.
These include Tanzania’s Simba SC, Yanga and Azam, alongside Burundian bigwigs Vital ‘O’.
Simba and Yanga are competing in the group stage of the Caf Champions League, with the latter drawing 1-1 with Ghana’s Medeama while the former was beaten 1-0 by Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in their most recent fixtures.
“This is an opportunity to expose the kids. We’ve asked FKF to reschedule some of our league matches,” Bandari vice-chairman Twaha Mbarak told Nation Sport.
“We’re gunning for a return to continental football. Such matches help our technical bench identify and strengthen our weaknesses. We’ll also scout for players.”
The tournament will be held at the refurbished Amani Stadium.
The facility has been spruced up with the installation of floodlights, planting of grass on the pitch and erecting a perimeter wall in readiness for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations matches that will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Other teams that have confirmed participation at this sporting showpiece which will be staged between December 28 and January 13, 2024, are defending champions Mlandege FC, plus local sides Jamhuri SC, Chipukizi FC and KVZ FC.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) FC, managed by former star footballer David Obua, Rwanda’s Patriotic Army (APR) and Singida Fountain Gate (Tanzania) will also be taking part.
The Mapinduzi Cup is a knockout football tournament organised by the government of Zanzibar alongside the Zanzibar Football Federation (ZFF) to commemorate Zanzibar’s Revolution Day.
Past winners have been awarded between Sh1.5 million and Sh2 million in prize money.
Bankrolled by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and managed by former Harambee Stars striker John Barasa, Bandari are currently ranked fifth on the 18-team FKF Premier League standings with 23 points from 14 games.
Bandari boasts some star players in their ranks, including Harambee Stars duo Abdalla Hassan and Joseph ‘Spoti’ Okoth, plus Uganda Cranes forward Derrick Nsibambi and defender Edward Satulo.
