Machakos ‘ready’ for CECAFA as FKF mull venue change

Machakos County Sports Director Stephen Kilonzo has asserted they are ready to host the Council of East and Central Africa (CECAFA) in the wake of reports organizers are considering shifting Group A matches to Kenyatta Stadium.

Local media reported Thursday that Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is set to announce the change in venue from Kisumu to Machakos, a fortnight before the scheduled kick-off for the tournament that is making its comeback after a two-year hiatus.

Kisumu has been at the heart of the unrest that rocked the country following the annulled presidential vote/repeat poll with FKF claiming visiting federations have requested to play elsewhere as a safety measure given political divisions remain unresolved.

The Harambee Stars are in Pool A alongside Rwanda, Libya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and will thus be affected by the change should FKF formalise the shift.

“We successfully hosted the tournament in 2013 and have hosted a number of high profile tournaments this year which is an indicator that we are very ready for it,” Kilonzo told Citizen Digital.

Kakamega County’s Bukhungu Stadium will remain as the host venue for Group B that has defending champions Uganda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium, the Mumias Sports Complex and the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani are the other facilities that had been earmarked as alternative venues.

The Kenyatta Stadium is currently hosting the Kenya Inter-counties Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) which is due to end on Saturday.

The facility also played hosts to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup Qualifier match between Junior Starlets and Ghana last Sunday where the visitors ran riot 5-1.

It was also one of five stadia that had been selected to host the 2018 CHAN before Kenya was stripped of hosting rights for the continental competition having failed to convince CAF of its preparedness.