AFTER clinching their first-ever CECAFA Kagame Cup title with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Al Hilal Omdurman in the final, Singida Black Stars head coach Miguel Gamondi credited the team’s success to having exceptional players.

Zambian playmaker Clatous Chota Chama was the star of the match and player of the tournament, scoring both goals for Singida Black Stars, while Abdelrazig Taha netted a consolation goal for Al Hilal.

Singida Black Stars’ journey to glory was impressive. Drawn in Group A alongside reigning FKF Premier League champions Kenya Police, Garde Cotes from Djibouti, and Ethiopian Coffee, the team started with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Ethiopian giants.

Their breakthrough came in the second group match, where they edged Kenya Police 2-1. Momentum carried into the final group fixture, a 1-0 win over Garde Cotes, which saw Singida Black Stars top the group with seven points and advance to the semi-finals.

In the semi-final, Singida Black Stars faced familiar opponents KMC FC. Despite KMC being buoyed by home support and tipped to cause an upset, Singida Black Stars’ clinical performance secured a commanding 2-0 victory and a place in the final against Al Hilal.

This year’s 47th edition of the Kagame Cup featured 12 teams divided into three groups of four.

Coach Gamondi attributed the historic victory to the quality of his squad.

“As a coach, you can’t win games and trophies if you don’t have good players. That was key for us throughout the tournament. I hope the people of Singida are happy, and above all, that we can gain new fans along the way,” he said.

Looking ahead, Gamondi noted that the team has little time to recover before their CAF Confederations Cup match against Rayon Sports next week.

“We have to assess the players’ fitness and select those who will be most beneficial for us on that day,” he explained.

Despite the celebrations, the coach emphasized the need to quickly shift focus to the new season, with the immediate goal of qualifying for the CAF Confederations Cup group stages.

“We celebrate for now, but we will turn our focus quickly ahead of the new season. We have the players to achieve our objectives and ensure we qualify for the group stages first,” he added.

In addition to lifting the Kagame Cup trophy, Singida Black Stars also earned US$30,000 in prize money.

The team will now turn their attention to their CAF Confederations Cup tie against Rayon Sports in Kigali at Stade Regional Nyamirambo, with the reverse fixture scheduled a week later.