COTE D’IVOIRE, Malawi and Zambia will play in this year’s Cecafa-Tusker Challenge Cup in Tanzania between November 27 and December 12.
The regional tournament for 11 member countries of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) has also received a major financial boost by Serengeti Breweries’ of Tanzania committing to sponsor the event for three years, ending in 2012.
The draw for this year’s tournament was announced in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday morning with Cecafa secretary general, Nicholas Musonye of Kenya, saying the championship will be the most exciting ever.
“Mark who is coming as visitors; Cote d’Ivoire, as you all know are an African giant, Zambia are always one of the strongest teams in Eastern and Southern African football and Malawi are equally a formidable team.
“Zambia have recently been to our tournament as guests and taken the title, so the level of challenge for Cecafa teams is immense,” the secretary general said.
ERITREA INTERESTED IN CLUB EVENT
Djibouti and Eritrea will be the only Cecafa countries not taking part. The peculiar absence is that of Eritrea who recently hosted a very successful Cecafa Under-20 Youth Championship and lost in the final with Uganda. The country is enthusiastic about hosting next year’s Cecafa Kagame Cup Club Championship including at additional two venues outside the national capital Asmara.
The Cecafa member countries are: 1). Burundi, 2). Djibouti, 3). Eritrea, 4). Ethiopia, 5). Kenya, 6). Rwanda, 7). Somalia, 8). Sudan, 9). Tanzania, 10). Uganda, 11). Zanzibar.
The Sh36 million [$450,00] Serengeti Breweries will be putting into the tournament each year will cushion Cecafa operations, whose requirements for each major tournament is approximately Sh50 million [$625].
But Tanzania being a popular footballing destination the organisation hopes to bridge the deficit with further sponsorship from Tanzania-based companies and attract enough revenue from gates of key matches especially in the soccer loving capital city Dar es Salaam. Other popular destinations such as Khartoum, Addis Ababa and Kigali would be the likely choices for hosting future Challenge Cups.
SPONSORSHIP DOORS OPEN
Serengeti Breweries managing director Richard Wells, was at the Cecafa draw where Musonye opened the door for other sponsors to come on board.
He said that of great interest to business partners was that the Cecafa matches will be beamed “live” to millions throughout the continent, by Africa’s top sports television broadcasters, SuperSport International.
Gary Rathbone, SuperSport’s Nairobi-based Head of Africa, had earlier confirmed their partnership with Cecafa and plans to broadcast matches of this year’s tournament.
Cecafa Chairman, Leodegar Tenga, who is President of Tanzania Football Federation [TFF] said the huge interest shown by many countries in Africa who were interested in participating in the event showed the growth of Cecafa organisation.
Cameroon had expressed interest to take part this year but their confirmation was not received on time. Tenga assured Cameroon an early invitation to next year’s tournament.
ARCH RIVALS TO MEET AGAIN
Of great interest to Kenyans was the drawing of their team to play in Group ‘C’ with great rivals Uganda. The two teams are currently involved in Group ‘J’ qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations and they have already drawn, 0-0, the first leg tie in Nairobi. They will, therefore, clash again this month before the return leg of the Cup of Nations qualifiers in Kampala next March.
In Nairobi on Wednesday afternoon, Kenya’s assistant head coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno, said he was looking forward to taking Harambee Stars to Tanzania.
“I am all set for the Challenge Cup and I am confident that Harambee Stars will be one of the key teams there. The players are eagerly looking forward to it. Camping will be starting pretty soon,” Otieno said.
“Zico”, head coach of big Kenyan Premier League team, Gor Mahia, however, is concentrating on seeing whether his club side can win the Kenya title. With two matches to go in the Premiership which closes on November 14, Gor Mahia are three points behind the leading team Ulinzi Stars.
DOUBLE-HEADER ON KICK-OFF DAY
On the Cecafa-Tusker Challenge Cup kick-off in November 27, Burundi will meet Somalia in the first match of a double-header. Tanzania Mainland will then clash with Zambia.
The following day, the match-ups are: Sudan v Zanzibar and Rwanda v Cote d’Ivoire.
Kenya’s first match is on November 29 when they will take on Malawi after the Ethiopia v Uganda opener earlier in the afternoon.
The pools:-
Group ‘A’:
Tanzania Mainland
Zambia
Burundi
Somalia
Group ‘B’:
Rwanda
Cote d’Ivoire
Sudan
Zanzibar
Group ‘C’:
Uganda
Kenya
Malawi
Ethiopia
Opening matches:-
November 27:
Burundi v Somalia, ‘A’
Tanzania Mainland v Zambia, ‘B’
Nov 28:
Sudan v Zanzibar, ‘B’
Rwanda v Cote d’Ivoire, ‘B’
Nov 29:
Ethiopia v Uganda, ‘C’
Malawi v Kenya, ‘C’
By GISHINGA NJOROGE,
A veteran Kenyan Journalist can be reached at: gishinga0202@yahoo.com
