The 1987 CECAFA Cup was the 14th edition of the tournament. It was held in Ethiopia, and was won by the hosts. The matches were played between December 13–27.
Group A
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zanzibar
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
 Ethiopia
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
 Kenya
|
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 Tanzania
|
1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | –3 |
Group B
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uganda
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
 Zimbabwe
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
 Zambia
|
1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | –4 |
 Malawi
|
Withdrew | |||||||
After competing one match, Malawi withdrew following the sudden death of the chairman of the FA of Malawi on December 13.