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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Concerns over Kenya's ability to co-host Chan

Football

By Xinhua | Dec 07, 2024

**CS Sports Kipchumba Murkomen and Defence Soipan Tuya (left) when they inspected Talanta Sports Stadium in August.** [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya is under pressure to meet the requirements to co-host the 2025 Africa Home Nations Championships (Chan), scheduled for February.

The tournament, exclusively for locally-based players, will feature 19 teams, with Kenya set to partner with Uganda and Tanzania as co-hosts.

Unlike Uganda and Tanzania, which each boast a Fifa/Caf-approved stadium, Kenya currently lacks a facility that meets international standards.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has given Kenya until December 31 to ensure its readiness, following an inspection last week. Inspectors toured Nairobi’s key stadiums, including the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani and the 30,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium, both under renovation.

However, local media, citing Caf’s findings, reported concerns that these venues may not be ready on time.

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Caf has yet to issue an official statement, but its president, Patrice Motsepe, is expected to make a follow-up visit to Kenya later this month. His inspection will also focus on Kenya’s preparations for co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Kenya’s sports minister Kipchumba Murkomen expressed optimism that the deadlines would be met. During his visit to the renovation sites, Murkomen stated that contractors were implementing a 24-hour work schedule to ensure timely completion.

“I am confident that the facelift will be completed within the set deadlines,” Murkomen said in a statement on Tuesday.

In addition to stadium renovations, Kenya lags behind its co-hosts in forming a local organising committee for Chan 2025.

The committee is expected to be constituted after Football Kenya Federation’s elections, set to take place in Nairobi on Saturday.