The region had four participants at the 2019 event, but is that alone reason for celebration?
In Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) boasted four representatives at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, marking a significant upturn in the zone’s participation at the continent’s high table.
Contextually, this was a major reason for celebration.
Cecafa has struggled to compete with the continent’s other regions at the Nations Cup.
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The only two African champions to come from the zone—Ethiopia (1962) and Sudan (1970)—are from Northeast Africa (and distant memories), while the 14 tournaments prior to 2019 have produced only seven qualifiers from the area.