FKF boss Mwendwa sees wider World Cup door for Kenya

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has welcomed FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from the current 32-team model saying it widens the door for the country to reach the pinnacle of the world game for the first time.

FIFA’s council on Tuesday unanimously backed President Gianni Infantino’s expanded World Cup plans effective starting in 2026 with the global soccer body explaining in a tweet sent by its media department that the new format will be made up of 16 groups of three teams each.

Speaking after a joint meeting between FKF and Kenyan Premier League (KPL) to deliberate on the logistics on expanding the country’s top league on Friday, Mwendwa implored the national team Harambee Stars to seize the opportunity.

“Those opposed to the 18 teams should see what is happening even at the world cup level. It’s about inclusion and I thank God Infantino is the FIFA president when I’m the FKF president. 48 teams in world cup means higher chances for Kenya to qualify,” the FKF boss told Citizen Digital.

Infantino, elected last February to replace the disgraced Sepp Blatter, pledged during his campaign to enlarge the tournament – a promise designed especially to appeal to the bulk of FIFA’s 211 member associations that rarely or never qualify for World Cups.

Critics have however said it would be wrong to change a 32-team format that, in 2014 in Brazil, produced a tournament of exhilarating soccer, unpredictable results and few meaningless or hopelessly one-sided matches.