Caf president Patrice Motsepe has admitted that Kenya still has a lot of work to do to be ready to co-host the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan), alongside neighbours Uganda and Tanzania.
Chan is a second-tier nations football tournament for players, who ply their trade in the domestic leagues of their respective countries.
The upcoming eighth edition of the tournament has been slated for February 1 to 28 next year, having been initially planned for September,
Addressing the press after chairing a Caf Executive Committee Meeting at Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi Monday, Motsepe said that even though Kenya has made good progress in preparing to host the championship, much more needs to be done.
Motsepe said that he trusts President William Ruto to keep his word of ensuring that the country is ready to host the competition, alongside its two neighbours.
“My impression as I leave is confidence because I trust President Ruto. There is still a lot of work to be done but I trust him (Ruto) because he is a man of his word,” said Motsepe.
He announced that the qualifiers for the Chan competition will run from October to December. Kenya was awarded and later stripped of the rights to host the 1996 Afcon and 2018 Chan due to ill preparations.
Caf boss Motsepe praises Ruto's efforts as Kenya readies to co-host Chan
Seeking to avoid a repeat of the same, Kenya is in a race against time to have Nyayo National Stadium or Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani in Nairobi ready for the two competitions.
Speaking on Sunday during an inspection tour of Kenyan venues that have been earmarked for the two major events, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Kipchumba Murkomen reiterated that the 60,000-seater capacity MISC will be ready for use in November this year.
The inspection of the venues was led by Motsepe. Nyayo National Stadium is expected to be closed down soon to allow for the replacement of the playing surface and other renovation works.
Lack of political goodwill and poor football management has seen the East Africa region lag in major football competitions in Africa.
The region has never hosted either Chan or Afcon. Countries that have hosted Afcon in the Cecafa region are Sudan (1957 and 1970) and Ethiopia (1962, 1968 and 1976).
Motsepe expressed gratitude to Ruto, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, and Tanzania President Samia Suluhu for their commitment to ensuring that the East Africa region hosts a successful Chan and 2027 Afcon. He said that not only will it promote football in the three countries but their economies too.
“I want to conclude by expressing my confidence that Chan next year's Chan in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will be the best in the history of the competition. I have got total confidence,” said the Caf president, adding that he will be back in Kenya to assess the progress of preparations for the tournaments in December.
In January last year, Caf announced a significant 60 percent increase of the prize money. As a result, winners Senegal received $2million compared to the $1,250,000 Morocco received for winning the 2020 edition.
