By Robin Toskin

Africa’s oldest regional football grouping, the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) has honoured two of Kenya’s players of the yore — Joe Kadenge and Peter Dawo.

Also honoured were Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, for his unrivalled support for the regional body and Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.

Joe Kadenge (left) and Peter Dawo

The honours were part of an elaborate opening ceremony for the 33rd Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup that started in Nairobi on Saturday before Kenya and Zambia took to the field.

Kadenge, a former Abaluhya Football Club striker, was one of the pioneer players in the Gossage Cup that later metamorphosed the Challenge Cup in 1973.

Dawo helped Gor Mahia to win the Mandela Cup in 1987 at the expense of Tunisia’s Esperance, making the Kenya side the only team from the region to have won a continental diadem.

Rwanda President Kagame is a long time sponsor of the Cecafa Club Championship while Raila, a regular personality at matches is patron of Gor Mahia.

According to Cecafa general secretary Nicholas Musonye, more players from the rest of the Cecafa membership will be honoured at other functions in future. Musonye expressed confidence Cecafa would emerge from its worst years of retrogression that saw Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi pull out to join Cosafa.

For three years, however, Zambia have honoured invitations to play in the tournament and won in Sudan in 2007.

Zimbabwe have also followed suit this year after telecommunications giants Orange sponsored the 33rd championship to the tune of Sh13 million.