Gor Mahia, Police to host CAF games abroad after Nyayo and Kasarani are declared unfit

Kenya's representatives in the 2024-25 CAF Interclub competitions , Gor Mahia and Kenya Police, will have to host their home matches on foreign soil after the Confederation of African Football (CAF), once again, declared the nation's premier sports facilities, Moi International Sports Centre (Kasarani) and Nyayo National Stadium, unfit for hosting CAF matches.

In an interesting twist of fate, Gor Mahia's and Kenya Police's opponents in the First Preliminary Qualifying Round of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League and the 2024-25 CAF Confederation Cup, respectively, also lack CAF-approved stadiums.

Gor Mahia, the 2023-24 FKF Premier League champions, were drawn against El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan, who will also have to host their home match against the 21-time Kenyan champions on foreign soil.

The same applies to Ethiopian Coffee, who were drawn against 2024 FKF Cup winners Kenya Police in the qualifiers for next season's CAF Confederation Cup.

While the ban on the three countries' stadiums ensures that neither Gor Mahia and Kenya Police nor their opponents will enjoy home advantage during the first phase of the qualifications for the 2024-25 CAF Interclub competitions, whichever team advances to the next stage will have their work cut out.

Gor Mahia is set to meet Egyptian giants and reigning CAF Champions League champions Al Ahly should they overcome El Merreikh Bentiu, while Kenya Police will book a date with Al Ahly's nemesis and reigning CAF Confederation Cup champions Zamalek if they prevail over Ethiopian Coffee.

Al Ahly and Zamalek can host their home matches in Egypt as the North African nation boasts six CAF-approved stadiums.

List of CAF pre-approved stadiums for the 1st and 2nd preliminary rounds of the 2024/25 CAF Interclub competitions pic.twitter.com/YB14nk1l6d

— African Soccer Updates (@Africansoccerup) July 13, 2024

Other than Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, the CAF stadium ban has also affected five other countries in the CECAFA region: Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan.

In the list released by CAF, only three countries in the CECAFA region have stadiums that meet the required standards for hosting CAF matches.

The three countries are Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. The trio boasts two CAF-approved stadiums each, and it is likely that teams in the region without approved venues will host their matches in these countries.

Rwanda has Amahoro Stadium and Kigali Pele Stadium approved. The two venues have natural grass surfaces.

Tanzanian clubs in CAF competitions have the option of using the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, which has a natural grass surface, or Azam Complex Stadium's artificial playing surface.

Like Tanzania, Uganda also has one stadium, Nelson Mandela Stadium, with a natural surface approved, and another one with an artificial surface, St. Mary's Stadium Kitende, getting the nod from CAF.

With Harambee Stars recently being forced to host their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast in Malawi, the recent ban on Kenyan stadiums increases pressure on the Kenyan government to ensure the country has a stadium that meets the required standards during the next round of inspection.

This ban comes at a time when the Auditor General's report unearthed numerous instances of county governments allocating millions of taxpayers' money for the construction and renovation of stadiums which still remain in a horrible state.

The ban also exposes a lack of action on the part of the Kenyan government in ensuring that the country has a CAF-approved stadium. It is evidence that the government failed to deliver the promise given by the former Sports CS that Harambee Stars and Kenyan clubs would not host home matches on foreign soil.

Hosting home matches on foreign soil comes with extra travel, accommodation, and stadium hire expenses, which sees teams dig deeper into their pockets.

Already, as recently revealed by Interior CS Raymond Omollo, who is the patron of Kenya Police, the 2024 FKF Cup champions have a budget of KES 19 million to cover the costs of their preparations for the CAF assignment. That budget may be revised upwards following the ban on Kenyan stadiums by CAF.