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Drama that is Cecafa tourney

By BRIAN YONGA December 8th, 2013 2 min read

The 2013 Cecafa Challenge Cup may have brought with it a semblance of good football, but off the pitch incidents cannot be ignored.

First, two Eritrean national team players absconded camp in search of greener pastures to escape the harsh conditions back at home.

This, however, is a small number compared to the 17 Eriterians who disappeared last year after being eliminated from the tourney in Kampala.

Players, team doctors and some members of the technical bench dissappeared into thin air. Only the head coach, his assistant, the goalkeeper trainer, two players and two officials could be accounted for.

Cash crunch

Athletes from Eriteria have made it a habit of making a run as soon as they land in a country more conducive than theirs. The identities of the two escapees are yet to be made public.

In another sideshow, organisers Football Kenya Federation (FKF) have run out of money before even the group stages conclude.

FKF is demanding Sh10 million from Mombasa County as a fee for co-hosting the tournament. It insists the sum is a standard rate for all hosting counties. The quarter-finals will be held at the Coast from December 7 and 8.

The Burundi national team almost became the first casualty of the financial crunch, after they were detained in a hotel in South C for hours over unpaid bills. The team was preparing to leave for Nakuru on Tuesday when they were asked to settle their dues.

The matter was, however, resolved with FKF claiming there was a mix up as the hotel management thought they were checking out.  But the matter was sorted out when it was clarified that the team would return after  after their game against Tanzania.

Additionally, Group A leaders Kenya were determined after tossing a coin. The method was used because Kenya had tied with Ethiopia.