Dar Es Salaam — MAINLAND'S Kilimanjaro Stars and Zanzibar Heroes will know their opponents today, as the draw for the regional Senior Challenge Cup is held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) spokesperson, Finny Muyeshi, yesterday told the 'Daily News' on phone from Nairobi that every thing was set for the draw to take place.

The 31st edition of the East and Central Africa tournament will be played in Kenya from November 28 to December 13. Nairobi and Mumias will host the preliminary matches of Africa's oldest soccer tournament.

All 11 member nations of Cecafa have confirmed their participation, together with guest sides Zambia and reigning Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) champions Zimbabwe.

They will form three groups - two will be based in Nairobi, while the third will be at the Western town of Mumias. Most of the participating teams have already stepped up preparation in hunt for regional prestigious silverware. Marcio Maximo's Kilimanjaro Stars entered camp on Tuesday.

The team is made up of most Taifa Stars players, who were given a short break following a training tour in Egypt and Yemen, in which the team recorded two defeats and a draw. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) General Secretary, Frederick Mwakalebela, ruled out the possibility of playing any international friendly matches before the kick off of the championship.

Kilimanjaro Stars last won the trophy in 1994 and went close in 2002, when they reached the final but lost to Kenya 3-2 in Dar es Salaam. Hosts Kenya were yesterday expected to name their squad with stand-in Twahir Muhiddin, vowing to retain the same team that lost to Nigeria 3-2 in a World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier in Nairobi last Saturday, save for Dennis Oliech, Emmanauel Ake, Victor Mugabe, Musa Otieno and Peter Opiyo, who are all unavailable.

Meanwhile, Island's national team, 'Zanzibar Heroes' is expected to enter camp today in preparation for the Challenge Cup, reports Issa Yussuf from Zanzibar.

The Deputy Secretary General of the Zanzibar Football Association (ZFA), Masoud Attai, told the 'Daily News' that the national team would only have five-days training camp "because of shortage of funds."

"We are having few days training because of lack of funds. The training camp will cost about 8m/- before leaving for Nairobi for the tournament," Attai said yesterday.

He said that 'Zanzibar Heroes' players in the Tanzania mainland teams arrived here on Tuesday to join their colleagues for the training. Attai named the players as Abdi Kassim, Nadir Haroub of Yanga, Aggrey Morris from Azam FC and the three Mtibwa sugar players: Abdullahim Amour, Thabit Humudi and Nassor Malik.

He said the 'Zanzibar heroes' was under local coach Hemed Suleiman, who is assisted by Alley Chidi. Meanwhile, the ZFA president Ali Fereji Tamim, said that the Zanzibar team was expected to leave next Tuesday by a boat to Dar es Salaam, where they will board a bus to Nairobi, Kenya.