Travel schedules to Mombasa
This year’ CECAFA Challenge Cup quarter finalists will be travelling to the East Africa’s biggest Coastal town Mombasa where the knock out stage matches will be hel. Uganda Cranes and Amavubi of Rwanda will be on the same flight to this Friday at 4:00pm.
Kirimanjaro stars of Tanzania mainland will be the first guests to arrive at the coastal city at 1:45pm while hosts Harambee stars leave Kenyatta International Airport at 5:30pm. CECAFA officials are expected there early Saturday morning.
According to the tournament CEO, Gerald Chege all flights are booked on Kenya Airways and the travel arrangements for teams playing on Sunday will be released later in the day.
Its Uganda vs Tanzania first
Defending Champions Uganda Cranes will be taking on Kirimanjaro Stars in the first quarter finals on Saturday before hosts Kenya’s Harambee Stars meet Amavubi of Rwanda later in the day.
Rwanda, the worst group stage performer among the eight quarter finalists qualified as the best loser 2 after edging lowly ranked Eritrea 1-0 at Machakos yesterday.
Khalid Aucho featuring for Kenya’s Tusker FC netted for the Uganda Cranes against Sudan in the early minutes of the second half to separate the two nations that had collected similar results from their first two matches.
Uganda is the only country that qualifies into the quarter finals with a clean sheet. They have scored 5 goals and conceded none throughout the group stages.
Easy route for guests Zambia
Former African champions Chipolopolo of Zambia are paired against Burundi in a quarter final fixture that many fans regard as being ‘an easy route’ into the semifinals. Both Zambia and Burundi were placed in Group ‘B’ with the guests topping the table and Burundi qualifying as the Best Losers.
Burundi won only one match against Somalia on a 2-0 score but lost 1-0 to both Zambia and Tanzania.
Kisumu doubtful for semis
The CECAFA Challenge Cup organizing committee chairman Arab Said Abidiqaan said his committee was considering looking for an alternative venue for the semifinals following reports from Kisumu that the stadium may not be ready by Tuesday next week.
After the quarter finals, Abdiqaan said his committee woud convene to decide the way forward. Sources however point at having the semifinals played either in Mombasa, Machakos or back at Nyayo stadium in Nairobi City.
Technicians from FIFA were contracted to lay the artificial turf in Kisumu, an exercise they embarked on only a week to the kick off date.
Finals are scheduled for Thursday 12th December at Nyayo stadium.
