Stars, Zambia renew rivalry in Cecafa Cup

Kilimanjaro Stars head coach Kim Poulsen demonstrates a tactic during a recent training session. The Dane has a tough task of replicating what his predecessor Jan Poulsen achieved. PHOTO | FILE

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania mainland’s 2013 Cecafa Cup Group B draw will see them face the same group stage opponents from their 2010 outing.

The Mainland team, Kilimanjaro Stars, has been drawn against Zambia, Burundi and Somalia, the exact draw they were handed under ex-coach Jan Poulsen when the tournament was held in Dar es Salaam.

Will they win it as they did three years ago? That is a million dollar question considering that the current coach, Kim Poulsen, has overhauled the squad, which now comprises a lot of young players.

In the 2010 event, Kili Stars started on a low note after losing 1-0 to Zambia, but bounced back to win all matches. They beat Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in the final.

The tournament, which will kick off on November 27 in Nairobi, Mombasa and Machakos will see another Tanzanian team, Zanzibar Heroes, pooled in group A alongside host Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

In group C, the defending champions, Uganda Cranes, will have to outdo Rwanda, Sudan and Eritrea if they are to stand a chance to win the title again.

The opening matches according to secretary general of the Council for East and central African Football Associations (Cecafa), Nicholas Musonye, will pit the host nation against Ethiopia’s Walias.

This will be the first time Kenya, losing finalists to Uganda in Kampala last year, will be hosting the tournament since 2009, with the opening matches being played in the capital Nairobi and the eastern town of Machakos.

Meanwhile, Musonye has urged member states to improve their football standards.

The Cecafa tournament is not recognised by the world football governing body Fifa, but Musonye believes the teams can use the tournament to prepare well and play better in Fifa-recognised matches.

“There has been a lot of talk that even with Cecafa being an annual event, its members continue to lag behind in Africa and be lowly ranked,” Musonye said.

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