National league champion Atraco Fc have intensified their preparations for this year’s Kagame/Cecafa Club Championship which gets underway next week in Khartoum, Sudan.

The club head coach Sam Timbe told Times Sport yesterday that they are trying to acclimatize with the hot weather conditions similar to that experienced in Khartoum.

"We are starting our training at 11a.m in bid to get used to playing in warm condition,” said the Ugandan tactician. Timbe’s team was on Wednesday Atraco was held to a 3-all draw by Electrogaz in a build up match played at Kicukiro artificial turf, the same venue the Taxi-men’s side is training from.

The league champions are scheduled jet out to Sudan over the weekend but without four key players namely goalie Jean Luc Ndayishimiye, midfielder Jean Shyaka and defenders Aloua Gaseruka and Donatien Tuyisenge.

The quartet is part of the Amavubi Stars provisional squad which is preparing for the World Cup qualifier against Egypt set for July 5.

Atraco have been drawn in group A of the annual club competition along with home side El Merreikh and guest team TP Mazembe of DR Congo, both of whom are starring in this year’s Africa Champions League.

Kenya will be represented by two clubs, Tusker FC, the defending champions, and Mathare United, who won the Kenya Premier League last season.

Last year, Tusker beat Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) in the final to the regional tournament.

The championship, which is sponsored by President Paul Kagame, will have 12 teams battling for honours.

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