KAMPALA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Defending Champions Uganda Cranes will open their 2017 Council of East and Central African Football Association (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup against Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe who are the champions of the Council of Southern African Football Association will face Uganda on Dec. 4, according to draws made on Thursday.

The tournament is scheduled to run from Dec. 3-17 in the Kenyan towns Kakamega, Kisumu and Nakuru.

Nicholas Musonye, the Cecafa Secretary General, said, "We are getting set to have a very fruitful tournament which will also help our teams that have qualified for the 2018 Africa Nations Championship to prepare better."

Uganda, Zimbabwe are in Group B with South Sudan, Ethiopia and Burundi. Group A features Kenya, Rwanda, Libya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. Enditem