Kenya Football .:. Story - Cecafa-kenya To Face Off Zambia In Opening Match-nov 19

Kenya will play Zambia during the opening match of the Orange Cecafa senior Challenge Cup that gets underway from November 28.

The draw for this years event that will be hosted by Football Kenya Limited (FKL) in conjunction with Cecafa was conducted today Thursday with the 12 teams participating divided into three groups.

Zone A and B matches shall be held in Nairobi while Zone C teams will be based in
Mumias.

Kenya opening match on November 28 against Zambia is expected to produce fireworks considering the latter has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations slated for next year in Angola.

Zambia held Rwanda to a goalless draw on Saturday to qualify for the African Cup of Nations next January.

Zone A will comprise of hosts

Kenya,Zambia,Ethiopia and Djibouti while Zone B will comprise of Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Eritrea and Somalia. Pool C will feature defending Cecafa
champions Uganda Cranes, Tanzania, Burundi and Zanzibar respectively.

Addressing a charged Press briefing at the Telkom Orange House, Cecafa secretary General Nicholas Musonye said there will be a total of 28 matches played with the grand finale set for December 13 at the Nyayo National Stadium.

He called upon Kenyans to turn up in large numbers and make the event one of the best in the century. He said the presence of guest teams Zambia and Zimbabwe will add more flavour and flair in the annual event. Kenya last hosted the regional showpiece in 1994 that was won eventually by Tanzania who beat Uganda 4-3 in post match penalties after both teams had tied 2-2 in regulation time.

Musonye said following the successes of the senior challenge cup in Uganda and Sudan, the 2009 event feature an expanded competition structure with more team participating.

He highlighted the recent addition of Zambia and Zimbabwe as an added feature to the tournament with the former (Zambia) having played very well in the Council of Southern African Football Associations COSAFA and qualified for the African Cup of Nations to be held in Angola next year.

In attendance was FKL First Vice chairman Titus Kasuve and Orange Head of Corporate Communications Angela Ng'ang'a Mumo who defended Kenya pride as a football giant despite Harambee Stars losing to Nigeria's Super Eagles.

She said “'Orange believes there is still a future in Kenyan football and it falls on all of us to help clean up the game. I'm happy to note that most of the matches will be broadcast live on Super Sports pay television and National broadcaster KBC,”

Zimbabwe's Warriors were invited to play in the Confederation of East and Central African Football
Associations Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya this month following their triumph in the Cosafa Cup
tournament.

Zimbabwe used to play in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup before, winning the tournament on home soil in 1985 after a 2-0 win over Kenya, but then moved out of that zone following the creation of Cosafa which takes care of the interests of teams in Southern Africa-

The quarter finals are expected to be staged on December 7th and 8th while the semis will be held on 9th,10th, 11th and December 12. According to Musonye, the two top teams and the best two qualifiers from all the three groups qualify to the quarter finals.

Fixtures at a glance;

All matches kick off at 4pm unless otherwise stated.

Nov 28.Saturday -Kenya Vs Zambia (Group A -Nyayo Stadium)
Nov 29 Sunday -Rwanda Vs Somalia (Group B Nyayo Stadium)
Nov 29 Sunday.-Burundi Vs Zanzibar(Group C Mumias at 2.00pm)
Nov 29.Sunday -Uganda Vs Tanzania(Group C Mumias)
Nov 30 Monday Ethiopia Vs Djibouti(Group A Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 1 Tuesday Eritrea Vs Zimbabwe(Zone B Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 1 Tuesday Zanzibar Vs Tanzania(Zone C Mumias)
Dec 2. Wednesday -Ethiopia Vs Zambia(Zone A Nyayo Stadium kick off 2.00pm)
Dec 2 Wednesday Djibouti Vs Kenya(Zone A Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 2 Wednesday -Burundi Vs Uganda(Zone C Mumias)
Dec 3 Thursday Rwanda Vs Eritrea(Zone B Nyayo Stadium at 2.00pm)
Dec 3 Thursday Zimbabwe Vs Somalia(Zone B Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 4- Djibouti Vs Zambia(Zone A Nyayo Stadium at 2.00pm)
Dec 4 Kenya Vs Ethiopia(Zone A Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 4 Friday15 -Tanzania Vs Burundi(Zone C Mumias at 2.00pm)
Dec 4. Friday 16- Uganda Vs Zanzibar(Group C Mumias)
Dec 5-Somalia Vs Eritrea(Group B Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 5. Saturday-Rwanda Vs Zimbabwe(Group B Nyayo Stadium)
Dec 6- Sunday Rest Day
Quarter finals-Dec 7 & Dec 8
Semi finals- Wednesday Dec9,& Thursday Dec 10.
Dec 11(Jamhuri Day)-Rest Day
Dec 12-Third Place play-off
Dec 13 Sunday-Finals