NAIROBI, Kenya, November 12- The 2013 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup will be officially launched in Nairobi on Friday.
The tournament draw will be conducted then with a title sponsor due to be unveiled during the breakfast function where ambassadors of nations taking part are lined up to be present.
According to the regional football governing body Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye, all preliminary games will be played in Nairobi and Machakos.
“For easier management and planning, other towns, Kisumu, Mombasa and Mumias will host some knockout matches,” Musonye disclosed on Tuesday.
“We had expressed our reservation about the readiness of Kisumu but with the decision to have the preliminary matches in Nairobi, the lakeside town have more time to prepare,” the official added.
Cecafa technical committee officials arrive in the country on Thursday to tour the venues and make a final submission on their fitness to host the competition that runs from November 27 to December 12.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) boss Sam Nyamweya told the organisers that the artificial turf has already been taken to Kisumu and work to lay it will commence before the end of the week.
“The government approved the Sh3.6 million for the clearing for the turf. We have also agreed with the Kisumu County Government to clear the huge pile of garbage adjacent to the stadium,” the FKF boss added.
“What remains is just laying the turf and a few things which should not take long so I can assure you that it will be ready,” he explained.
The countries that have confirmed participation alongside the hosts are defending champions Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, Zanzibar, Eritrea and Zambia.
Cecafa is still waiting for Burundi with the kick-off set to coincide with World Cup trophy tour to Kenya.