Emmanuel Muga BBC Sport, Dar-es-Salaam

The Taifa Stars will miss the Cecafa challenge

Cash-strapped Tanzania has pulled out of this year's Cecafa Challenge Cup at the eleventh hour.

The Taifa Stars withdrew after the government failed to finance their trip to Sudan for the tournament which gets underway on Saturday.

Tanzania were scheduled to play the hosts Sudan in a group A opener in Khartoum on Saturday.

Other countries that have withdrawn due to cash problems are Somalia, Djibouti and Burundi.

Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Eritrea and Sudan are the only teams now left in the tournament for countries in East and Central Africa.

Meanwhile, Cecafa secretary general, Nicholas Musonye, says all is set for the tournament in Khartoum and Kasala.

The event will be preceded by the Cecafa Congress to be held on Friday in the Sudanese capital.

The teams have been drawn into two groups. Rwanda, Zanzibar and the host nation are in group A which will be based in Khartoum.

Group B is made up of Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea and they will play their matches in Kasala.