Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has unveiled plans and preparations for the national team Harambee Stars ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) set to take place in February 2025.
Kenya will be participating in the continental tournament by virtue of being a host country, alongside neighbours Tanzania and Uganda.
On Monday, December 23, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 2024 CHAN and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) convened to assess the country’s readiness for the events.
Following the meeting, FKF President Mohammed, accompanied by Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum and LOC Chairperson Nicholas Musonye, conducted an inspection tour of Nyayo Stadium. Mohammed then outlined the national team’s roadmap for the tournament.
“As a federation, even as the infrastructure is being developed, we are going to focus our efforts on the national team, so that we do not just participate for the sake of participating,” said Mohammed. “We want to deliver a performance that will make Kenyans, the region, and the continent proud.”
The FKF President highlighted the federation’s priority to appoint a new coach and reconstitute the technical bench following the resignation of former head coach Engin Firat.
“My team and I are working tirelessly to ensure the technical bench is finalized as soon as possible, so the team gets everything it needs for adequate preparation,” he stated.
Harambee Stars are also set to participate in the special edition of the Mapinduzi Cup, scheduled to run from Friday, January 3, 2025, to Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
“We will kick off with the Mapinduzi Cup in early January, which will provide us an opportunity to assess the team’s progress and chart the next steps for their preparation,” added Mohammed. “The team will head to camp shortly after to ensure they are in the best shape to compete against the continent’s best.”
Mohammed expressed gratitude to the government for its efforts in renovating stadiums across the country to meet international standards for CHAN.
“I want to commend the government for the incredible work being done at all the sites preparing for CHAN. The progress so far is impressive,” he remarked.
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) will run from Saturday, February 1, 2025, to Friday, February 28, 2025, across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The FKF has reiterated its commitment to ensuring Harambee Stars perform exceptionally well as the country co-hosts one of Africa’s premier football tournaments.
