Zimbabwean football fans are looking forward to hosting the Cosafa Cup
Hosts Zimbabwe have been drawn with Tanzania in a preliminary group of the Cosafa Senior Challenge, which takes place from 17 October to 1 November.
Only the winners of the preliminary groups will qualify for the quarter-finals, leaving the Warriors no room for error against Tanzania, who were invited as replacements for Madagascar.
The draw and launch of the annual southern African championship was attended by vice-president Joice Mujuru and many other members of government.
Government is putting up US$1m in sponsorship for the competition, with the aim of re-branding Zimbabwe's image ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
World Cup hosts South Africa were drawn to play 2010 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Angola in the quarter-finals.
But neither team is likely to feature any big-name players.
South Africa won last year's edition with a third-string side, while Angola will field their under-20 team.
"We're using the competition to develop players, there will only be one or two members of our Nations Cup squad," Angola under-20 coach Jose Amaral told BBC Sport.
It had seemed that the Cosafa Senior Challenge would not take place this year, when 2008 hosts Mpumulanga Province of South Africa pulled out.
But Zimbabwe then offered to host what will be the biggest football tournament ever held in the country.
"The government of Zimbabwe came to our rescue, we're touched by their commitment," said Cosafa vice-president Salemane Phafane at the draw.
In a further boost, former sponsor South African Breweries have come back as a partner for this year's competition.
The six teams highest on the world rankings were given byes to the quarter-finals, with the other eight teams playing in a preliminary group phase.
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