The Cabinet recently approved a bid for Kenya to host the 36th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027 alongside her East African neighbors.In a statement, the government stated that the move is geared towards “reviving the prospects of Kenyan football” and as a “stepping stone towards the Harambee Stars qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in the year 2030.”Ex England manager handed new role at Asike’s club in Sweden”The national effort will encompass the rebuilding of the men’s national team, the Harambee Stars, and the rebuilding of the women’s national team, the Harambee Starlets.As a stepping stone towards the target of the Harambee Stars qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in the year 2030, the Cabinet approved a proposal to host the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in 2027 alongside EAC partner states,” read part of the document. It will not be the first time Kenya will be seeking to stage the biennial tournament. In 1993, Kenya got the nod from the Confederation of African Football, CAF to host the 1996 AFCON, but the hosting rights were later handed to South Africa, who went ahead to win it, beating Tunisia 2-0 in the final.##NAJAVA_MECA_6871887##Speaking a decade later during the screening of a one and a half hour long documentary on the football evolution in Africa watched by delegates attending the 39th Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2017, former CAF president Issa Hayatou explained why Kenya lost the 96 AFCON.“Then President Daniel Moi wrote to me saying Kenya was not ready. Morocco and South Africa were ready for the challenge and eventually we settled on South Africa. It was an amazing tournament inspired by the late president Nelson Mandela,” Hayatou announced.Subsequently, Kenya was banned from the next two AFCON tournaments.At a time Kenya was preparing for her second multiparty General Elections in 1997, it is believed that Moi was not keen to support the hosting of the AFCON as it would have given the opposition a political score.Cabinet approves proposed joint bid to host Africa Cup of NationsThen under the management of former opposition legislator Joab Omino, who was the football head, the game was viewed as belonging to opposition sympathizers, and hence hosting the 96 AFCON would have been a massive score for them, something the Moi regime was not keen to do. 22 years later, Kenya got another chance to host a major tournament in CHAN, the Championship of African Nations, but again, lack of government goodwill saw Morocco run away with the rights. Kenya was stripped of the rights over unpreparedness.Scottland-based forward dreams of representing Kenya in 2026 FIFA World CupCameroon used six stadiums to host the expanded 24-team AFCON last year. As at now, Kenya has no stadium approved to host international matches with the Kasarani Stadium and Nyayo Stadium all falling short of CAF, the continental football body, requirements.In a recent CAF inspection, the two largest national facilities were found inadequate and need more work to attain the required standards.
