Committee races against time to deliver venues for 2024 CHAN, 2027 Afcon tournaments
Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum (centre, in a sky blue coat) leads an inspection of the ongoing refurbishment of Nyayo National Stadium’s for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN). Kenya will co-host the tournament with Uganda and Tanzania from February 1 to 28 next year.
What you need to know:
- CHAN is Africa’s second-tier national team football competition reserved for home-based players. Kenya will co-host the biennial 19-team tournament with Uganda and Tanzania.
- It is a dry-run for the 2027 Afcon, which will also be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The multi-agency team overseeing Kenya’s preparation for the delayed 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN), and 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will not break for Christmas holiday as it works round the clock to deliver match venues within a tight deadline.
Kenya is racing against time to get match venues ready for 2024 CHAN programmed to be held from February 1 to 28 next year.
CHAN is Africa’s second-tier national team football competition reserved for home-based players. Kenya will co-host the biennial 19-team tournament with Uganda and Tanzania. It is a dry-run for the 2027 Afcon, which will also be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
On Monday, both the 22-member National Steering Committee, and the nine-member Secretariat that will oversee Kenya’s preparations to co-host the two major football tournaments met for the first time at Nyayo National Stadium for members to familiarise themselves with their roles and responsibilities.
Afterwards, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum said the meeting discussed delivery of infrastructure for the tournaments, and assured the public that the 30,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium will be ready to host matches by January 10.
“In another five to 10 days after January, all this place will be free to host the games as it were,” said Tum.
“This team has been guided accordingly, and there is no Christmas holiday for them, save for December 25th. From December 26 onwards, they will be here working and ensuring that what we promised CAF has been done to their satisfaction,” he added.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had set December 30 deadline for Kenya to finish its preparations for the tournament. However, Nation Sport understands that this deadline could be extended to mid-January.
Veteran football administrator Nicholas Musonye, who is the chair of the 22-member National Steering Committee, said his team is doing everything possible to ensure that floodlights at Nyayo National Stadium are functional by the first week of January.
“We are not breaking for Christmas; we are here to work and deliver on our mandate. We shall ensure that the floodlights are working by the first week of January,” Musonye said.
A spot-check by Nation Sport on Monday showed that installation of masts for erecting floodlights was ongoing. Changing rooms at the stadium have also been refurbished but ventilation is still lacking, as well as the media tribune.
Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani is the other venue Kenya has selected to host 2024 CHAN matches. The training venues are MISC Kasarani Annex, Ulinzi Sports Complex, and Police Sacco Stadium.
Last month, a CAF inspection team expressed serious doubts about Kenya’s readiness to make Kasarani Stadium ready for the tournament. Some of the areas of major concern for the inspection team at the facility included the canopy, fitting of seats, and installation of the sound system.
On his second visit to Kenya last Friday, CAF president Patrice Motsepe struck an optimistic tone that Kenya will be ready for 2024 CHAN.
“I leave Kenya with even more confidence and even more excitement that indeed there is huge progress (in Kenya’s preparations to co-host the 2024 CHAN with Uganda and Tanzania),” said Motsepe.
On Monday, Musonye’s deputy, Hussein Mohammed, who is also the FKF president, said they will ensure Harambee Stars is well prepared for the tournament. Hussein said Kenya will compete in the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar in January.
“As the infrastructure is being developed, we (FKF) shall focus our efforts on the national team, so that we don’t just participate for the sake of it but we also put up a good show for Kenyans and the region. My team and I are working around the clock to ensure that the technical bench is ready as quickly as possible, and that the team gets everything it requires to prepare adequately,” Hussein said.
On December 11, FKF announced that Turk Engin Firat had resigned as Harambee Stars coach due to salary arrears. Kenya qualified for the 2024 CHAN by virtue of being one of the host countries.
