Caf inspectors in town
What you need to know:
- Four representatives from the Confederation of African Football arrived in Nairobi on Sunday all set to assess Kenya’s preparations to host the 2018 African Nations Championship.
- The inspection is scheduled to take place between Monday and Friday. The representatives will tour the four venues and relalted facilities that have been earmarked for the continental competition.
- The four officials - Tarek Abdalla, Mohammed Khaled, Suketu Mahindra and Magdaldin Abdelrazik - will visit Nyayo Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret and Kinoru Stadium in Meru.
Four representatives from the Confederation of African Football arrived in Nairobi on Sunday all set to assess Kenya’s preparations to host the 2018 African Nations Championship.
The inspection is scheduled to take place between Monday and Friday. The representatives will tour the four venues and relalted facilities that have been earmarked for the continental competition.
The four officials - Tarek Abdalla, Mohammed Khaled, Suketu Mahindra and Magdaldin Abdelrazik - will visit Nyayo Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret and Kinoru Stadium in Meru.
Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos while also be inspected as an alternative venue.
Caf’s first vice president Almamy Kabele Camara is expected in Nairobi on Wednesday as part of the inspection team.
The continental football team is also scheduled to meet government officials.
The budget for the games stands at Sh2.7 billion.
Football Kenya Federation chairman Nick Mwendwa said that the government had declared its commitment to host the biennial competition, but that he was worried about their lack of urgency in fast tracking the improvement of stadiums infrastructure.
“It is now do-or-die time for us as a country. Those officials will be here by Monday (today) and we have to prove that we have the infrastructure and the money to host that kind of competition.
“We are ready to show them the work we’ve done so far and the work we plan to do and hopefully we shall be able to convince them. The contractors are already on site in all those four stadiums. I am only worried about the timelines,” he said.
FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING
On Saturday, the Local Organising Committee held its first official meeting at Kasarani.
But even though Mwendwa is optimistic that the competition will be held in Kenya, Caf is fast running out of patience since Kenya continues to lag behind in terms of infrastructural development and other key requirements.
On January 24 this year, a concerned Caf wrote to FKF demanding proof of government support, evidence of concrete progress on stadiums and other infrastructure developments, and approval of the tournament budget by February 3, among other things.
