By Mark Baber
June 16 – Despite optimistic noises from sections of the Kenyan press and Football Federation of Kenya officials and with a African football confederation (CAF) inspection team currently in the country to examine preparations, Kenya’s hosting of CHAN 2018 is in peril due to delays in preparing adequate host stadiums.
Sports Kenya public relations officer Rakki Asman as saying said the venues, “namely Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kinoru Stadium in Meru, Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos and the Kipchoge Keino stadium in Eldoret will be closed down for the period of the refurbishment.”
According to Asman: “We are staring at a deadline to have these facilities ready by November, one that was provided by the Confederation of African football who are the tournament organisers. That’s the timeline we are working with.”
With a high level CAF inspection group including 2nd Vice-President Omari Selemani currently touring the proposed host stadiums, The Nation reports that: “The government on Wednesday advertised for tenders for refurbishment work at the stadiums. According to the advert, the stadiums will have new grass laid, be fitted with seats, electronic installations including giant television screens. The latest state of the art water reticulation and irrigation system aimed at maintaining the quality of the grass will also be installed.”
Worryingly for Kenya’s hopes of hosting the tournament, an article published on Wednesday by Standard Media reports that Kipchoge Stadium has been “ruled out” after CAF inspectors expressed disappointment at the slow pace of work.
Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa said: “We have agreed with the Government that if there is a need to advertise any work and especially to engage contractors, it must be done by July 1. After that, all the designated venues will be closed for 21 weeks to enable us plant grass.”
“In the same vein, Machakos Stadium now becomes one of the designated venues for the tournament and will also undergo various renovations to make it ready as we cannot risk with the facility in Eldoret.”
Whilst Kenya appears to have sufficient hotel spaces and hospitality facilities to host the tournament, Kenyan authorities have been continually moving back the times for completion of stadiums and training pitches and it will be interesting to see what the inspection team has to say about whether there is now sufficient time to organise contractors and to prepare the pitches and build the stadium facilities required to meet FIFA standards for international tournaments.
It has to be recalled that Kenya was chosen to host the 1996 Africa Nations Cup and the Kenyan authorities committed to building a new stadium in Mombasa as a condition of hosting the tournament. Promises were regularly made that work was going to start, but it never actually happened and in the end CAF lost patience, revoked hosting rights and awarded them to South Africa. Could we see history repeating itself?
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