New Kasarani playing surface shaping up
The Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in this photo taken on April 26,2018. PHOTO | VINCENT OPIYO |
What you need to know:
- Caf requires other facilities be put in place during the last 16.
Refurbishment work at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani is in its final stages of completing.
The giant sports facility is expected to be ready ahead of a SportPesa organised friendly match on May 13 pitting English second tier side Hull City and the winner of a one-off match between arch rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.
The two Kenyan sides clash on Labour Day in Nakuru.
A visit by Nation Sport this week revealed that Bermuda grass was being laid on the pitch.
Workers at the site said the grass had been imported from abroad but they had to patch up some parts of the surface with turf from Thika Green Golf Resort and Utalii college grounds.
“We’ve been working day and night and the type of grass that has been laid here is special in a way it’s fed by a special kind of manure to grow very fast. These Moroccans (Gregori International) have a good understanding of soils, drainage and grasses,” a worker told Nation Sport.
Sports fields construction company, Gregori International has been at the venue working on the playing surface.
Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia inspected the ground on Monday and made an assurance the stadium will be ready in 14 days' time. “The infrastructure part has been done, what remains is the technical expertise in grass management but we’ve been assured that everything will be ready in two weeks,” he said.
Gor Mahia have indicated the stadium as their preferred home venue in the Caf Confederation Cup starting with on May 16 when they host Algerian side USM Alger.
“The constructor assured us it will be ready by May 9 and through the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), we wrote to Caf requesting them to consider Kasarani as our home venue,” Gor CEO Lordvick Aduda. A Caf delegation will inspect the facility next week.
Gor used Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos for their Champions League fixtures and Confederation Cup play-off against SuperSport of South Africa.
Further, Caf requires other facilities be put in place during the last 16.
