Kenya formally bids to host 2017 Afcon despite several shortfalls

What you need to know:

  • A source familiar with Kenya’s bid  however explained: “There is no time to build stadiums.”
  • A tentative budget of Sh1.5 billion has been earmarked for the process with a larger chunk expected to go towards rehabilitating the existing facilities and infrastructure.
  • “It will be great if Kenya wins the bid because the economy will get a boom,” Williamson said. “It will be sports tourism, so to speak, and many people will visit the country.”

Kenya Tuesday formally submitted a bid to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 10-page document was presented to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) headquarters in Cairo by locally based Fifa-licensed agent Francis Gaitho on behalf of football authorities hours before the deadline lapsed last evening.

This development was confirmed to Daily Nation Sport by Director of Administration in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts Wenslas Ong’ayo.
“The said (2017) bid has full Government support,” Ong’ayo said. “We have written a commitment letter to the relevant authorities and are awaiting a response.”

The competition’s hosting rights were made available  to the 52 Caf member states last month by the continental body after Libya, which had been endorsed to stage the event, voluntarily withdrew over insecurity.

Kenya is likely to face direct competition from a host of nations — including Algeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Mali, Botswana and Ethiopia — in the race to host the competition regarded as the continent’s premier sporting bonanza.

Ethiopia and Ghana are the only nations whose governments have officially confirmed their interest in hosting the competition.

“We already have two ready venues — the Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar stadiums — and the construction of the other venues has also reached a good level,” Ethiopia FA president Junedin Basha told BBC earlier this week. “Our government is ready and interested to do everything it can to bring the tournament back to Ethiopia.”

The Safaricom and Nyayo stadiums in Nairobi, Moi Stadium in Mombasa, Kichoge Keino in Eldoret and the refurbished Moi Stadium Kisumu are listed as the hosting venues for the competition should Caf accept Kenya’s proposal.

NO TIME TO BUILD STADIUMS

A source familiar with Kenya’s bid  however explained: “There is no time to build stadiums.”

A tentative budget of Sh1.5 billion has been earmarked for the process with a larger chunk expected to go towards rehabilitating the existing facilities and infrastructure.

Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson was among the football stakeholders who voiced their support for Kenya’s bid.

“It will be great if Kenya wins the bid because the economy will get a boom,” Williamson said. “It will be sports tourism, so to speak, and many people will visit the country.”

The Scot added: “On the football aspect, our players stand to gain immensely because they will compete at a larger platform and benefit from the exposure and experience.”

Former national team coach and technical director Jacob “Ghost” Mulee added: “This bid will put pressure on the Jubilee government to deliver on the pledges it made regarding sports, including renovating sports facilities in the country.

“The national team players also stand to benefit because we will earn a direct ticket to compete in the tournament. Remember, we have not been able to compete for the past decade plus.”

Mulee, who was the last trainer in charge of a Kenya team at the competition, added: “This is an emergency bid. We can only work with what we have, which, in this case, is upgrading the existing stadiums.”