Bandari to host its Caf matches in Nairobi

Bandari coach Twahir Muhiddin is disappointed by yesterday’s ruling by continental football body Caf that his charges will play their Confederation Cup matches away from home next year.

The Coast-based team qualified to feature in the Caf Confederation Cup for the first time last weekend after winning the GOtv Shield (domestic cup).

Bandari are set to play Congolese club FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the opening round of the competition in February.

The match will, however, be staged in Nairobi because Caf’s management has ruled that the two main match venues at the Coast - the Mombasa County Stadium and Mbaraki Sports Ground - do not meet the threshold of staging international games.

MUHIDDIN DISAPPOINTED

“I am disappointed and so are our fans because most of them will not be able to be part of this history we are creating. They cannot afford to travel to Nairobi to watch us play against some of the big teams on the continent,” former Harambee Stars coach Muhhidin Tursday told Daily Nation Sport.

“Anyway,” he added: “We chose Nyayo Stadium as our second home because my players are used to that venue. We have consistently been playing there for the past three seasons and know the surface well,” Muhiddin said.

“Since we are representing the country, I expect football lovers in Nairobi, especially fans of Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards to come and cheer us on,” he added.

According to a press release from Football Kenya Federation yesterday, Mbaraki Sports Ground was rejected by Caf’s inspection team “because the venue is a members club facility and its actual recommended dimensions are not in place.”

The statement went on to say “the inspection team that toured the Mombasa County Stadium was not able to do an inspection at the time since it was closed down for renovation.”

Other local venues which were also disqualified from hosting continental assignments by the Caf team include Nairobi’s City Stadium, Afraha Stadium in Nakuru County and Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega County.

The report cited Mumias Sports Complex as “having an existing bar selling alcohol inside the stadium.”

Others are the newly-renovated Kisumu County Stadium. The Caf report disqualified Kisumu County Stadium on basis of a dumping site adjacent to the facility “which possess a health hazard to fans, has dilapidated terraces with only two entrance points.

Nyayo and Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi are the only facilities in the country approved to host international matches.