Nicholas Musonye, the CHAN LOC chairman, has warned that the tournament risks collapsing if the three host nations—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania—fail to perform well.Originally scheduled for February, the tournament was moved to August to allow more time for preparations.CAF decided the three nations were not yet ready in terms of infrastructure and extended the timeline to get their act together.##NAJAVA_MECA_8641726##Kenya is placed in Group A together with; Morocco, Zambia, DR Congo, and Angola in what is being dubbed the “Group of Death.”Harambee Stars are viewed as the underdogs in the group.Musonye discussed the significance of Kenya’s performance and the importance of the country being well-prepared.He revealed that they have had discussions with the federations of the three host nations, encouraging them to prepare thoroughly for the matches.“We’re in a challenging group, and we’ve urged FKF to ensure the team is well-prepared. We’ve had similar discussions with Uganda and Tanzania,” Musonye shared in an interview with NTV.“Losing in the group stage is not an option; that would mark the end of the tournament.”REPORTS: Kazakhstan giants table hundreds of millions for Harambee Stars left backHe expressed concerns about Kenyan fans’ reactions if the team fails to progress from the group stage, noting that the public might lose interest and turn to other distractions.”It’s typical of Kenyans—if we lose, they think the tournament is over and head off to Westland to watch the rest of the games over a beer.”However, he emphasized that the plan is to motivate fans to fill the stadiums by performing well on the field, ensuring they maintain faith in the team, even if the journey doesn’t go as planned.“Our goal is to reach the final and make this tournament a success. Football is the world’s most popular sport, and we hope Kenyans won’t give up on the team after one loss.”To ensure the host nations are ready for the tournament, the three countries will organize a series of four-nation tournaments in their respective countries.This will serve as a test of their preparedness. The first tournament will take place in Kenya in March, followed by one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in May, and finally in Uganda.AFC Leopards goalkeeper promises to deliver more after making long-awaited club debut“These tournaments will help us assess our facilities and overall readiness. The region has never hosted a tournament of this scale, so we need to evaluate our capacity,” Musonye explained.In terms of logistical preparations, Musonye confirmed that the three countries plan to have everything ready by the end of February.“We’ve met with the LOC representatives and ministers from the three countries, and the consensus is clear: all infrastructure must be completed by the end of February. We’ve extended the timeline, but by then, everything must be ready.”Patrick Matasi’s message of encouragement to AFC Leopards goalkeeper after weekend howler
