| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Malawi |
| Dates | November 1–19 |
| Teams | 5 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Malawi (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Zambia |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 14 |
| Goals scored | 45 (3.21 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Godfrey Chitalu (11 goals) |
| ← 1977 1979 → | |
The 1978 CECAFA Cup was the 6th edition of the tournament. It was held in Malawi, and was won by the hosts. The matches were played between November 1 and 19.
Group stage
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia
|
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 3 | +13 |
| Malawi
|
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
 Uganda
|
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
 Kenya
|
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | –10 |
 Somalia
|
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | –7 |
| Malawi | 1–0 | Kenya |
|---|---|---|
Kaimfa  79' |
| Malawi | 3–1 | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| Phiri Chikafa Gondwe |
|
| Malawi | 0–2 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Zambia | 2–1 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Chitalu Chola |
| Zambia | 4–0 | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| Chitalu Chola ? |
| Kenya | 0–1 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 2–1 | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Phiri Chikafa |
Chola |
| Kenya | 1–0 | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 0–9 | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Chitalu Chola Kalambo Simulambo ? |
| Somalia | 2–2 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
Semi-finals
| Malawi | 2–0 | Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| Thewe 43' Phiri 87' |
| Zambia | 4–0 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Chitalu |
Third place match
| Kenya | 2–0 | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Adero ? |
Final
| Malawi | 3–2 | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Gondwe 3' Billie 77'Phiri 89' |
Chitalu ? |