Why Kenya will not be represented at AWCON draw

What you need to know:

  • This year’s edition will be the 11th and will run from November 17 to December 1.
  • The best three sides from the eight-team biennial competition will advance to the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup slated for June 7 to July 7 in France.

Kenya’s delegation will be conspicuously missing at the draw for the 2018 Total Women's Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Ghana, on Sunday night (10pm Kenyan time).

Conventionally, all competitors are supposed to be present when the draw is being done, but the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has told Nation Sport that no one from the federation will be in Accra when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) conducts the draw.

“No official from Football Kenya Federation will attend the Total Women's Africa Cup of Nations draw tonight in Ghana. It was too fast," FKF President Nick Mwendwa said on Sunday morning.

The draw is coming just five days after Kenya replaced Equatorial Guinea, which was disqualified for fielding an eligible player during the second round qualifying matches against Harambee Starlets.

Kenya, which has not started training nor unveiled its provisional squad, will know her pool and opponents from the list of Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Algeria, Mali and Zambia.

The eight countries will be divided into two groups of four teams each.

Reports in Ghana indicate that Caf President Ahmad Ahmad is already in Accra for the draw.

The Madagascan arrived on Saturday night and was met at the Kotoka International Airport by the Chairman of the Normalisation Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Dr Kofi Amoah and Caf Deputy General Secretary, Anthony Baffoe.

“I am delighted to come to Ghana again and to witness the draw of the Total Women's Africa Cup of Nations and to see how the country is preparing to host the rest of Africa,” Ahmad told local media.

This year’s edition will be the 11th and will run from November 17 to December 1.

The best three sides from the eight-team biennial competition will advance to the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup slated for June 7 to July 7 in France.