NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 16 – The 2017 CECAFA Senior challenge Cup will be opened by a mouth watering clash pitting hosts Harambee Stars against Rwanda in the second match of Day 1 on December 3 in a venue to be decided.
Harambee Stars, who are drawn in Pool A, will take on guest team Libya in their second match, then entertain Zanzibar before concluding their group fixtures with a crunch against Tanzania.
Group B comprises of record champions Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan and guest team Zimbabwe in the two-week-long regional tournament that will be hosted in Kisumu, Kakamega and Nakuru.
Against Rwanda, Kenya will be out for revenge after the Amavubi Stars eliminated them at the quarter-final stage in 2015 when the tourney was hosted in Ethiopia.
This year the competition will be comprised of 10 teams as opposed to the traditional 12 teams after 2013 finalists Sudan and Somali opted out to see the tournament head straight to semi-finals after the group stage.
The tournament that returns after a two-year absence was initially scheduled to kick-off November 25 but will now start December 3 to run until December 17 when the final will be held.
CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye said they decided to reschedule the kick-off to allow some of the countries complete their league.
Harambee Stars will be seeking to reclaim the title they last won in 2013 at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium after beating Sudan 2-0 in a match that Allan Wanga scored a brace to hand Kenya a sixth title.
Draw
Group A: Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar.
Group B: Uganda, Zimbambwe, Burundi, Ethiopia, South Sudan.
