The Secretary General of the Council for East and Central African Football (Cecafa), Nicholas Musonye has warned all their members to stop riding on football to instead go to other countries to seek for refugee status for their teams.

This comes in the wake of developments in Uganda last week when the government finally granted refugee status to the Eritrean national football team members who vanished in Kampala last December during the 2012 Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup.

“Let us go around our region to play and develop football instead of hiding in football and yet some people have their agendas of seeking asylum in other countries,” said a bitter Musonye on phone from the Cecafa secretariat in Nairobi.

Uganda has granted asylum to the 15 players from the Eritrea football team and the team doctor who absconded in the country in December during the 2012 Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup.

Apollo David Kazungu, the Commissioner for Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda, said on Monday that the Refugee Eligibility Committee had found the group's claims valid and granted them refugee status.

The Eritrean team had been eliminated in the tournament in the early stages after drawing with Zanzibar 0-0, losing 3-2 to Malawi and being beaten 2-0 by Rwanda in their last match on Saturday.

A day after Uganda Cranes players were rewarded with $14,000 ($700 each {Shs1.8m}) from the prize money accruing from winning their 13th Cecafa Tusker Cup, the cash cow keeps giving.

The Cranes took home $30,000 prize money for winning the title.

A loose body of fans calling themselves the Uganda Cranes Initiative (UCI) hosted the team to a luncheon on Tuesday and gave them a top-up allowance to that received on Monday amounting to Shs4.4m each. The money catered for all 28 players that were in camp for Cecafa.

In defending the Cecafa title by beating Kenya 2-1 last Saturday at Namboole in the final, Uganda were winning it for an unprecedented 13th time.

Uganda coach Bobby Williamson believes his side's Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup victory shows the Cranes have a bright future.

A 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Kenya in the final of the 36th edition of the regional event on Saturday meant Uganda retained their title.

And Williamson feels it was the perfect fillip after missing out on qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

"After the disappointment of failing to make it to the Nations Cup, I am so happy because we used a different team, gave younger players a chance and we have retained the trophy," said Williamson.

Defending champions Uganda Cranes retained the Cecafa Tusker Cup for the third year running after edging out archrivals Kenya 2-1 in this year’s final played at Namboole Stadium on Saturday.

Two own goals by Anthony Kimani and Joackins Atudo gave Cranes the title in a closely fought encounter played out infront of 35,000 passionate fans. Edwin Lavatsa had levelled the scores four minutes from time.

It was Uganda’s 13th Cecafa title and a fourth crown under Bobby Williamson’s stewardship as the Cranes underlined their dominance in the region. They went through this year’s tourney without losing a match and conceding only once.

Zanzibar ensured they crowned their fine run in the CECAFA Tusker Senior Challenge with some monetary value, finishing third to win 10,000 USDs. The Zanzibar Heroes beat their brothers Kilimanjaro Stars 6-5 on post-match penalties in the play offs.

After the first five kicks, the teams were tied at 4-4 forcing the match into penalties. Mwinyi Kazimoto lost his kick, same as Zanzibar’s Nassur Massud also seeing his kick saved. Erasto Nyoni, Mrisho Maftar, Shabaan Nditi and Shomari Kapombe scored for Tanzania while Khamis Mcha, Samih Nuhu, Aggrey Morris and Abdallah Othman scored for Zanzibar.

Going into sudden death, Raymond Damayo scored the first for Kili Stars with Captain Haroub Naddir responding for Zanzibar. However, Kelvin Yondani kicked his penalty out while Sabri Makame scored his to give Zanzibar the victory.

These two East African neighbours, Uganda and Kenya, love to hate each other when a ball is thrown at them just as they love to love each other after the skirmish.

And on Saturday evening, they will resume regional hostilities on the Namboole Stadium turf when the Uganda Cranes face Kenya’s Harambee Stars in this year’s Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup final.

The encounter is a repeat of the January 2009 final in which hosts Uganda edged their neighbours 1-0 with striker Brian Umony grabbing the lone goal.

They have already clashed in this tournament, Bobby Williamson’s Cranes beating James Nandwa’s Stars by a lone strike en route to finishing atop Group A.

Uganda Cranes will meet Kenya’s Harambee Stars in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup finals on Saturday after beating Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Stars 3-0 in the semi-finals played at the Namboole stadium on Thursday in Kampala, Uganda.

Danger man Robert Ssentongo was in red hot form grabbing a brace after the breather to add onto Emmanuel Okwi’s 12th minute strike to seal the victory.

Okwi lightened up the modestly attended match, mainly with the home supporters when he neatly slotted home to leave Juma Kaseja crestfallen between the sticks for the Tanzanians.

Kenya on Thursday defeated Zanzibar 4-2 in penalties to qualify for the finals of the CECAFA Senior challenge Cup in Kampala. The match had ended 2-2 in regulations time with Kenya twice coming from behind to cancel the Zanzibar Heroes lead.

Zanzibar’s goals were scored by Khamis Mcha after 20 minutes with Mike Baraza forcing an own goal 9 minutes later. Zanzibar’s second goal was scored by Aggrey Morris from the penalty and Mike Baraza again equalized to force the match into extra time.

Kenya’s penalties were scored by Mike Baraza, Edwin Lavatsa, Joackins Atudo and Juma Abdallah.

Paul Were and Kevin Omondi left for Kampala, Uganda on Tuesday night to rejoin the Harambee Stars squad that is currently participating in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.

This has been confirmed by Fisa FC head coach Charles ‘Korea’ Omondi, who has been training the duo since they returned to Kenya following their dismissal from the Stars squad for indiscipline a few days back.

“I have been communicating with head coach James Nandwa frequently as he is very keen on their (Were and Omondi) day-to-day progress,” Korea said on Tuesday. “They will leave for Kampala tonight at 2200 hours via Air Uganda,” he added.