Gor begin Cecafa Clubs Championship campaign against Uganda's KCCA

Joseph Karioki of Gor Mahia FC and Lenny Ombetsa of GFE from Eldoret during their GOTV Shield knock out match at Moi Stadium, Kisumu at the weekend. INSET: Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye. [PHOTOS: TITUS MUNALA AND DENNIS OKEYO /STANDARD]

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia will kick-off their 2014 Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) Kagame Cup Clubs Championship campaign with a clash against Uganda's Kampala City Capital Authority (KCCA) on August 8 at the Amahoro Stadium, Rwanda.

The five times champions are looking forward to starting their campaign on good footing against KCCA who won the tournament in 1978,  then as Kampala City Council.

Gor Mahia, who are currently training at the Nairobi City Stadium, are hopeful their star will shine this season, having won the regional title in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981 and 1985.

In fixtures released yesterday by Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye, defending champions Vital O' of Burundi will face Somali's Banadir in Group C opener on Saturday August 9 at the same venue as host and last year's runners up APR battle it out with Flambeau of Burundi in a Group B encounter.

Musonye said the championships, which will also be used to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rwandan Genocide, has so far received Sh17.4 million (USD200,000) sponsorship from the Government of Rwanda and a further Sh5.2m (USD60,000) from Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.

"As Cecafa, we are injecting Sh8.7 million (USD100,000) in the championships. We will hold a corporate dinner in Kigali on July 31 where we intend to raise half a million dollars," Musonye said in a press conference in Nairobi yesterday.

Musonye further added: "We also have sponsors on board like Rwanda Air and many others who will soon be announcing their sponsorship for the event."

According to Musonye, fitness test will be done to all match referees and their assistants two days before kickoff.

Cecafa officials said Gor Mahia and other participating teams will receive their air tickets in the course of this week.

The matches will be played in two venues - the Amahoro and Nyamirambo stadiums. The venue for the official kick off will be arrived at after a meeting between Cecafa, Rwanda's football federation Ferwafa and pay television station SuperSport who will be broadcasting the tournament live. Amahoro stadium will host the tournament finals on August 24.

Musonye revealed that Cecafa is currently on course to start a Clubs Championships League in the next two years but this will depend on the availability of sponsorship, infrastructures and other resources.