The Ministry of Sports, through the cabinet secretary Amb. (Dr.) Amina Mohamed and the Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee, has refuted claims Kenya has withdrawn from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final round qualifiers against Uganda set for February.On Friday evening, uncertainty ensued over the team’s participation after the Ugandan FA, FUFA, reported that they had received communication from CAF indicating that Kenya had withdrawn, giving the Crested Cranes the ticket to the main event in Morocco in August this year.The letter sent to FUFA by CAF purported that the Kenyan FA had written to the continental body with the request to withdraw from the qualifier, and with the ministry denying doing so for the Caretaker Committee puts the embattled FKF Secretariat in the spotlight.Harambee Starlet’s have worked for & earned their position in history! The ladies are currently in camp @Kasarani sweating it out for AWCON qualifier against Uganda 🇺🇬 on 17th Feb! We would like state THAT #Kenya has not withdrawn! #Patriotism #WomenFootball #AWCON #FIFA pic.twitter.com/lCLNA9xQNv— FKFcaretaker (@FKFcaretaker) January 28, 2022 Amina further confirmed that the ministry is doing all they can to contact both CAF and FIFA in an attempt to reverse the situation and have Harambee Starlets face off with Uganda for the ticket as scheduled earlier.FULL RELEASEWe have learnt that there is a suspected fraudulent letter that was purportedly written to CAF to withdraw our heroines, Harambee Starlets, from the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifier against Uganda.It should be noted that the team is already in camp preparing for the first leg in Kampala, Uganda, on February 17, 2022 and the return leg in Nairobi five days later.The Harambee Starlets have worked so hard to get to the last hurdle to the AWCON finals in Morocco later in the year and any attempt to interfere with that must be condemned and not be allowed to succeed.Anyone found to have been involved in any such attempt will be held fully accountable.As Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, we have mobilized every resource under the guidance of the FKF Caretaker Committee led by Justice (Rtd) Aaron Ringera to ensure Harambee Starlets are ready for the fixture against Uganda.The Ministry is doing everything possible to contact the relevant authorities at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the world football body, FIFA.Harambee Starlets will continue with their preparations as we seek to correct this misrepresentation.I just wish there can be a way around this to reverse it. Harambee Starlets deserve this chance https://t.co/l2jFguDPdj— Murimi Njiru (@muriminjirujnr) January 28, 2022 In the event that the development holds, Uganda Senior Women’s National Football Team, the Crested Cranes, will grace this year’s Total Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco in August.Harambee Starlets had already reported to residential camp at Kasarani and held their first training session on Wednesday under the stewardship of new head coach Alex Alumirah and his technical bench and will be hoping that the quagmire is sorted as qualifying for the AWCON would have presented them with a big chance of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup set for Australia and New Zealand.
