The government has confidence in the national football team, Harambee Stars, that is being prepared for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania between August 2-30, 2025.
The State has high hopes that the formidable line-up that has been put up by head coach Benni McCarthy will sail through to the final of the high-profile African football showpiece.
“We can see Harambee Stars making it to the podium. We have already talked to the boys, they have pledged, assured, and promised us that they will do so—deliver the trophy,” Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said during a CHAN round table meeting with the media fraternity in Nairobi on Thursday.
Follow the The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
“As a government, we believe in the team and the entire technical bench. We are giving the contingent all the necessary support to win the matches and ultimately lift the coveted trophy,” Mvurya stated.
Mvurya indicated that Kenya will also use the tournament to spot talents for the Afcon 2027 football showdown, to also be co-hosted by the three East African nations.
The CS urged fans to come out in large numbers during the CHAN competition to be staged at Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums. All Harambee Stars fixtures will be held at the historic Kasarani.
“Our diversity is our strength. We have a hashtag, #JazaStadi, which is meant to encourage fans and Kenyans at large to show up in large numbers and showcase patriotism during the matches,” said Mvurya.
“The way we handle CHAN will definitely give us a hint on how to manage and improve the Afcon 2027, which is also just around the corner,” he added.
Local Organising Committee chairman Nicholas Musonye stated that Kenya has learnt a lot from the past failures, and the lessons are being taken seriously to make CHAN a better tournament for Kenya.
“We lost Afcon hosting rights to South Africa in 1996 and CHAN status to Morocco in 2018. From the lessons learnt, we are now working with the government and Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to make the forthcoming tournament a success,” explained Musonye.
“To start with, on hospitality, we have identified enough hotels to host the visiting teams and other various departments. Our transport system is very much okay for the expected guests, security has also been addressed at the highest levels. And in terms of operations, we have various relevant committees that are working round the clock to ensure that all CAF requirements are put in place ahead of CHAN kick-off.”
“We are ready, we expect to have a successful CHAN tournament as a precursor for Afcon 2027. Kenyans are urged to be greatly involved in this championship to help market the country to the continent and to the outside world.”
During CHAN, regular tickets will go for Sh200, while VIP will cost Sh500. Visas have also been waived by the three East African nations to ease the smooth flow of fans during the competition.
“The pricing of the tickets was determined by each of the countries’ purchasing power,” said Musonye.
FKF president Hussein Mohamed has praised the goodwill that Harambee Stars players are enjoying from many quarters, especially from the State.
“The team has been given a comfortable environment to prepare for CHAN. The coach has been granted full control of the squad, with no interference by external forces,” said Mohamed.
“Kindly, let’s all show solidarity with the team so the players can deliver. Let’s all be in our best behaviours during this tournament, as we will have high-profile guests from across the globe attending the championship.”