NAIROBI, Kenya, August 6 – Kenya has been drawn in Group B of the Council of East and Central Africa (CECAFA) under 17 challenge cup in Sudan later this month.
Kenya will be based in the southern city of Juba where they will play Uganda, Ethiopia and Zanzibar in the preliminary stages.
Egypt and Nigeria have been invited to the tourney which they will be using to prepare for the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in November.
“I am in contact on a daily basis with both federations. There involvement will make the competition much more exciting,” said CECAFA secretary general Nicholas Musonye on Thursday.
“During the (CECAFA) club challenge, delegations from both countries requested to be part of the tournament so as to develop their sides and we obliged,” he added.
Egypt has been placed in Group C where they will lock horns with defending champions Burundi, Rwanda and Eritrea in Wadmadeni.
Nigeria, who will host the U-17 finals, will face hosts Sudan, Tanzania and Somalia in Khartoum.
“The Sudanese government, the Sudan Football Association and CECAFA will foot the expenses of the tournament which amount to Sh50 million,” said Musonye.
Fixtures for the tournament will be announced next week. Twenty one match officials will be in charge of the tournament.
“We expect our teams to prepare well and not to come to Sudan as joyriders. They must come to Sudan and show the world that CECAFA can produce good football,” said Musonye.
“All the teams have been sent all the rules and regulations which we expect them to abide by,” he added.
The opening ceremony will take place in Khartoum on August 19 while another will beheld in Juba the following day.
