THE Council of East and Central African Soccer (Cecafa) has put Rwanda on standby to host the 2013 Cecafa Challenge Cup if Kenya fails. The decision was confirmed in Cecafa congress held on Friday at Kampala’s Serena Hotel. Should Kenya fail to host the annual event, Rwanda has been put on alert to take over.The battle to host the regional championships turned into a spirited contest by the two nations before the eyes of Africa’s football boss, Dr Issa Hayatou.Football Kenya Federation [FKF] Chairman, Sam Nyamweya, first told the Cecafa General Assembly at the Royal Imperial Hotel, that Kenya had a sponsor ready to host the Challenge Cup. Then Ferwafa chairman Celestin Ntagungira, said Rwanda would be able to announce the name of a Challenge Cup sponsor “within two weeks” of being chosen as hosts.In the “mini bid” verbal presentation being played out in-front of delegations of all 12 member countries, Cecafa President Leodegar Tenga (TZ) summarised the deliberations saying, the hosting rights will go to the country that will prove first it has sponsorship for the tournament.Patrick Ogwel, the vice-chairman of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations [FUFA], then made the proposal, that was adopted, that the Cecafa Executive Committee comes up with guidelines which bidders will fulfill before they get the hosting rights.The March date during the CAF Congress in Morocco was thus set as stage of when Rwanda and Kenya will make their final efforts to appeal for the hosting rights that have now apparently become competitive.
