The Kenyan government has shown clear indications that the East African nation is in top gear and fully prepared to host the 2024 Africa Nations Tournament (CHAN) tournament after they officially handed over the Kasarani Arena, the main venue to host the final, to the tournament’s Local Organising Committee (LOC).
The eighth edition of the biennial association soccer tournament organised by the Confederation of African Soccer (CAF), featuring national teams consisting of stars currently playing in their respective local leagues, will kick off on August 2nd and run until August 30th.
On Monday, the Kenyan government, across the Ministry of Sport,s handed over Kasarani Arena to the Local Organising Committee - marking a critical milestone as the country accelerates preparations for the tournament.
The African body has now picked Kasarani as the venue to host the closing ceremony and final of the tournament, and it will also host Group A matches.
Teams in Group A include Kenya's Harambee Stars, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, and Zambia.
Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa Arena in Dar es Salaam will host the first fixture, while Nelson Mandela Arena in Kampala, Uganda, has been designated to host the third and fourth matches of the event.
Kenya in top gear and fully preparedAccording to Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Salim Mvurya, the handing over follows extensive refurbishments carried out in line with recommendations by the Confederation of African Soccer (CAF) amid their routine inspections, a clear indication that Kenya is in top gear and fully prepared to host the tournament.
“I have this day (Monday, June 30th), officially handed over the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) - marking a critical milestone as we accelerate preparations for the African Nations Tournament (CHAN) scheduled for August 2025,” said Mvurya, who was joined at the event by Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, members of the LOC Steering Committee led by National Chairperson Nicholas Mosonye, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, and officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.
“The Kasarani Complex, along with its two adjacent preparation grounds, will serve as the main venue for CHAN 2025.
It will host the final fixture and also serve as the base for our national squad, Harambee Stars.
“This momentous occasion is never sole a proud achievement for Kenya but also for the entire East African region.
It reaffirms our standing as a premier destination for international competitions and sets the stage for hosting future continental tournaments, with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
”The Kasarani StadiumCHAN LOC MediaKenya, under head coach Benni McCarthy, will be based at Kasarani and will play their first fixture at 15:00 local time versus the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue.
Later, at 18:00 local time, Morocco will take on Angola at Nyayo Arena.
However, the tournament will kick off on Saturday, August 2nd, in Dar es Salaam with a fixture between co-host Tanzania and Burkina Faso at the Benjamin Mkapa Arena at 20:00 local time.
On Sunday, at 20:00, action will return to Benjamin Mkapa Arena in Tanzania, where Madagascar will play Mauritania.
The first matches in Kampala will be played on Monday, August 4th, 2025, when co-hosts Uganda play Algeria at 20:00 local time, but before that, Niger will play Guinea at 17:00 local time at the same venue.
Mvurya further explained why the government had handed over the arena to the LOC.
“They also have to use the ground and trial it with matches, and we have been relying on playing at Ulinzi Sports Complex, which is also part of the CHAN, so it gives LOC a great opportunity to trial the ground,” explained Mvurya.
On the readiness of Nyayo Arena, which will host the first fixture between Morocco and Angola, Mvurya said: “There were additional recommendations from CAF that we build a perimeter wall, and that is what is remaining, but the work will be completed in the next two days.
“The perimeter wall is being done outside the main pitch, and it was recommended to improve on security, but inside the arena or the playing surface, there is nothing remaining, and I can confidently say, everything is ready.
”On Harambee Stars preparations ahead of the tournament, Mvurya explained: “We are going to work closely with Soccer Kenya Federation (FKF) to make sure that the squad gets the best preparations always ahead of the tournament.
“We will backing the Federation in whatever they need since we want the squad to excel and victory the title.
They will be playing on home soil, so it will be important that they do everything to make sure the title stays here.
”After first versus DR Congo, Kenya’s second fixture will be versus Angola on Tuesday, August 7th, before they face Morocco on Sunday, August 10th and wind up their group fixtures versus Zambia’s Chipolopolo on Sunday, August 17th.
Government warns Kenyans versus vandalismSalim Mvurya and LOC chairman Nicholas MusonyeCHAN LOC MediaMvurya took his time to send a warning to Kenyans never to vandalise the refurbished facilities, saying the government was spending a lot of public funds to do the work.
“When we do this sports infrastructure we are spending public funds, and it is very unfortunate that the same public goes ahead to crush a public facility, and even when we are in democratic society, democratic country, we need to be very careful on public facilities, and also private businesses,” Mvurya told Betopick in a separate interview.
“We can have our views, we can have our democratic space lacking destroying property, if it is a public property or private, so I think that incident is very unfortunate and that is why we are even enhancing the wall and in the next two days few of those places will now be covered, and we will also enhance CCTV, so that we can be able to monitor and arrest those kind of situations.
“But, I think it is very unfortunate that we use public resources - like you can see the new face of Kasarani, it looks very good, and we don’t expect the same public later to come back to do vandalism, it means we go back to do a new budget, and later we can’t make progress.
”He concluded: “When we have such a facility like we have here, later we every need to take responsibility as Kenyans to protect these facilities, so I think I want to urge everybody else: let us never use the excuse of demonstrations, and protesting to crush public and private facilities.
”Zanzibar have been added to host the tournament’s matches with the New Amaan Arena, which recently staged a successful CAF Confederation Cup 2024/25 final between Tanzania’s Simba SC and RS Berkane of Morocco, set to host Group D matches involving Senegal, Congo, Sudan and Nigeria.
AuthorBetopick
