Nairobi News

Sports

Flat broke Harambee Stars considering forfeiting Tanzania clash


Cash-strapped Harambee Stars may not honour this weekend’s crunch 2020 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Tanzania, Nairobi News has established.

And this decision could ultimately prove costly and possibly result in football world governing body Fifa banning Kenya from all football activities for two years.

The East African derby is slated for the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Kenya’s developmental side is looking good after holding its southern neighbours to a barren stalemate in the first leg clash played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam this past weekend.

ALLOWANCES

But then, the Kenyan camp has since been hit with serious cash flow challenges, with a broke Football Kenya Federation unable to pay the players allowances.

FKF has also not settled the payments of several service providers, include hotel accommodation, booking the match day venue and catering for the logistics of hosting the international referees.

“The solution could be to not honour the match. We can write and inform Tanzania not to come. The consequences are disastrous, but what do we do?” a source close to FKF explained.

SPORTS FUND

Nairobi News has also been reliably informed that upto Sh15 million is needed to adequately honour this fixture.

The Kenyan law, under the Sports Act, states that the government should cater for all expenditure for its national football teams competing in international assignments.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, have repeatedly stressed that funds have been provided for this purpose, under the newly enacted Sports Fund.