NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 8 – The Zimbabwe Warriors and Libya will be the guest teams for this year’s CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup slated to kick off November 25 to run until December 9 in Kenya.
Zimbabwe and Libya replace Eretria and Djibouti in the 12 nation tournament that returns after two years since the 2015 edition that was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where record champions Uganda beat Rwanda 1-0 to win the title.
CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye on Wednesday confirmed that the regional tournament will be held across different venues in the country at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega, Moi Stadium in Kisumu, Afraha Stadium in Nakuru and the Mumias Sports Complex.
The Local Organising Committee has set aside the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani and the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos as options in case some of the proposed venues fail to host the matches due to the ongoing rains.
“I want to appreciate that when we discussed this issue with Football Kenya Federation President (Nick Mwendwa) last year, he convinced me that Kenya is ready to host this competition and so far we have been in discussion everyday to ensure we orgnise a credible competition that will revive the memories of CECAFA’s good old days,” Musonye said.
“We have 12 teams, Libya and Zimbabwe are our guest teams and they have confirmed in writing that they will attend the competition. We have been to Kakamega’s Bukhungu Stadium and we have given them specifics that must be done and we believe they are following them up to ensure the venue be ready for the competition,” he added.
The Secretary General said the tournament comes at the right time when the country is undergoing political trying times, disclosing that the competition will bring together Kenyans after the just concluded repeat Presidential election that divided the country.
“We have gone through a very serious electioneering process and we need to use football to heal the wounds that have inflicted our people and come back together despite the divide that we have politically. That’s why we want to take this competition across the country,” Musonye said.
The last time Kenya hosted the tournament in 2013, it was shambolic with teams being detained in hotels over unpaid bills, but Musonye has exuded confidence on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) that they will host a successful event.
“As far as CECAFA is concerned, we have full confidence in FKF that they will do a good competition. They have been hosting many matches both international and friendlies and they have proved they can do it so we are counting on them.”
On his part, FKF boss Nick Mwendwa said preparations are top notch, saying that the government will be included in their plans as they seek to woe sponsors and a broadcast partner.
“We want to use CECAFA to promote friendship especially now that we have just held our elections. As FKF we are geared to this commitment to see that we have a good event that will bring CECAFA back again after not being hosted in the last two years. This tournament will also be used to prepare Harambee Stars for upcoming games,” Mwendwa disclosed.
Teams will start arriving from November 22 in the tournament that will bring together Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somali, Sudan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Libya.
The prize money structure remains the same with the winner pocketing Sh 3.1m (30,000 USD), runner-ups take home Sh 2m (20,000 USD) while third place will go home with Sh 1m (10,000 USD).
