Confusion sorrounds Kenya/Burundi clash in Tourney

By Fred Maingi

 Kenya is  still in a dilemma  when they will play their opponents  Burundi  in the Africa  Championship tournament(CHAN )

The first leg slated for November 30 – Dec 2, 2012 clashed with the Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup taking place in Uganda between November 24 and December 8.

   But on a Cecafa [Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations] appeal to CAF [AfricanFootball Confederation] the African body advised that Cecafa countries were free to postpone their first leg ties of CHAN qualifiers to January 2-4, 2013.

To date, however, only Burundi have indicated they were okay with a postponement while strong signals from Kenya were that they were adamant on the earlier schedule and preparing to play Burundi in Bujumbura between Nov 30- Dec 2.

Sources from Burundi also say they were prepared to play Kenya on the early dates while at the same time taking part in the Tusker Challenge Cup.

“We shall be at the Challenge Cup. We are hoping we shall have done with the pool matches in Kampala, then hop over home to play Kenya in the CHAN fixture.

“We shall return to Kampala if we shall have qualified for the knock-out rounds of the Challenge Cup,” said an official in the Burundi Football Association.

The second leg ties of December 14-16 remain the same because they do not clash with the Tusker Challenge Cup.

2014 CHAN (African Nations Championship) fixtures:

CENTRAL - EAST ZONE:

(Three teams to go through from this zone)

Preliminary Round:

First leg: Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2012 (suggested changed dates, Jan 2-4 2013): Burundi v Kenya; Eritrea v Ethiopia

Second leg: Dec 14-16, 2012: Kenya v Burundi; Ethiopia v Eritrea

First Round:

First leg: June 21-23, 2013: Burundi or Kenya v Sudan; Eritrea or Ethiopia v Rwanda; Tanzania v Uganda

Second leg: July 5-7, 2013: Sudan v Burundi or Kenya; Rwanda v Eritrea or Ethiopia; Uganda v Tanzania