The 1981 CECAFA Cup was the 9th edition of the tournament. It was held in Tanzania, and was won by Kenya. The matches were played between November 14–28.
Somalia withdrew before the tournament.
Group A
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tanzania
|
5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
 Kenya
|
4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
 Malawi
|
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
 Zanzibar
|
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | –6 |
Group B
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uganda
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
 Zambia
|
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 Zimbabwe
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
 Sudan
|
2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | –2 |
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final
References