Cecafa seeks new Senior Challenge Cup hosts
What you need to know:
- Nation Sport understands the National and three County Governments invested an estimated Sh65 million to support the annual football tournament which brings together 12 national teams from East and Central Africa.
- Broadcast rights holders Azam meanwhile pumped in an estimated Sh18 million.
- The government, however, seemed not too willing to invest in the competition this time around.
Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) Secretary General Nicholas Musonye says the regional body has identified Uganda and Zanzibar as Kenya’s possible replacements as hosts of the 2018 Senior Challenge Cup.
He spoke to Nation Sport on Wednesday, a day after Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa announced the country had rescinded its decision to stage the 12-nation championship set for November owing to a lack of funds.
Said Musonye: “We have a plan to host six tournaments this year and I will ensure that happens. I am in talks with Uganda and Zanzibar and we are hopeful one of them will replace Kenya."
Mwendwa’s announcement meanwhile further highlights Kenya's poor record at hosting international football events being the second time in under a year the country is giving away the rights for a tournament.
In September last year, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) took away Kenya's rights to host the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) when it became apparent the country lacked enough infrastructure to stage the 16-nation continental event.
Again, Caf earlier this month rejected an unofficial approach by FKF to replace troubled Ghana as hosts of the eight-nation Women’s Africa Nations Cup later in November for the same reason.
This as government commissioned construction works at the Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret, Kinoru (Meru) and Nyayo Stadiums (Nairobi) appears to have stalled.
Kenya last hosted and won the annual Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Kakamega, Machakos and Kisumu last year.
Nation Sport understands the National and three County Governments invested an estimated Sh65 million to support the annual football tournament which brings together 12 national teams from East and Central Africa.
Broadcast rights holders Azam meanwhile pumped in an estimated Sh18 million.
The government, however, seemed not too willing to invest in the competition this time around.
