Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat remained non-committal regarding the team’s preparations for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, admitting that he is not fully aware of the plans for the tournament.The qualifiers, set to begin in nine days, lead up to the tournament which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in February 2025.##NAJAVA_MECA_8415236##Kenya will face South Sudan in the first round of the qualifiers, with the winner set to meet either Djibouti or Rwanda in the next round. Kenya’s campaign starts with an away match in Juba on October 25, followed by a home fixture on November 1. The aggregate winner will advance to the next round.Since CHAN only allows players from local leagues to participate, Kenya’s squad is likely to include several debutants as the country prepares for its first-ever appearance in the tournament.However, Firat expressed uncertainty over the team’s preparations for the qualifiers, revealing in an interview that while he had focused on preparing the team for the recent AFCON qualifier against Cameroon, he was not involved in the specific planning for CHAN.“To be honest, I don’t have a program for the CHAN qualifiers,” Firat said. “We prepared the players for the game against Cameroon, but I don’t know the plans for CHAN.”The coach hinted that the ongoing Football Kenya Federation (FKF) election campaign might be affecting the team’s preparations. “When there are elections, everyone seems to have other priorities,” he added.’Votes might be finished’ – Nick Mwendwa hits out at ‘nuisance’ FKF presidential aspirantsDespite these concerns, CAF President Patrice Motsepe, during his visit to Kenya last month, expressed confidence in the country’s preparations for the tournament. Kasarani Stadium, Kenya’s main venue for the tournament, is expected to be ready by the end of November.“I am deeply grateful and proud of the exceptional leadership that President Ruto is providing in relation to football and CHAN. With all of us working together, I am confident Kenya will be ready, and we will elevate African football to the highest standards,” Motsepe said.President William Ruto reaffirmed that the necessary infrastructure would be completed on time.”We commit that Kasarani and Nyayo will be ready by the end of this year for the CHAN in 2025, while Talanta Sports City Stadium will be completed by December 2025 for 2027 AFCON,” Ruto confirmed.47075Former Harambee Stars midfielder Osborne Monday details improvements in Kenyan football since retiring
