I wish to join Kenyans specifically football enthusiasts in expressing my disappointment following Harambee Stars early exit from the ongoing AFCON in Cairo, Egypt at the group stage.
It goes without saying that the country’s hopes were high after Harambee Stars qualified for this year’s AFCON after staying in the cold for 15 years.
Our hopes were even heightened by the fact that the government undertook to fully fund the team’s preparations which included camping in France and playing high profile international friendly matches including one in Spain ahead of the tournament.
The fact that the government through the sports ministry pumped Ksh 240million in the team’s preparations for the tournament and continental soccer body CAF gave FKF additional Ksh 60million bringing a total of Ksh 300million.
Harambee Stars had everything at its disposal to enable the team deliver in Cairo. This was the first time in Kenya’s soccer history that the government has invested such a huge amount of money in Harambee Stars.
When AFCON finally kicked off it was disheartening to watch the mediocre performance displayed by Kenya in their opening match going down 0-2 against Algeria a team which Kenya had beaten 3-1 at Moi Stadium in Kasarani during a World Cup qualifier in 1996.
It was clear during the first match that team selection for the opening match was very poor and there was no co- ordination amongst players.
It was a clear sign that Kenya had an uphill task making it to the last 16 and surely they did not since after beating Tanzania 3-1 in their second group match they were whitewashed by Senegal 3-0.
Had we to go all the way to camp in France just to go to Cairo and beat Tanzania a team we had beaten in the past without camping in Europe?
It is not rocket science that Ksh 240 million which the government pumped in the team is a lot of money which is enough to fund a whole ministry in a county government.
As stakeholders in the team we cannot bury our heads in the sand and take the team’s poor performance at these years AFCON gracefully since doing that will be condoning corruption.
What has happened at AFCON is a clear scandal similar to RIO Olympic Games scandal which was investigated and officials who were found to be part of the scandal arraigned in court.
FKF must come clean and tell Kenyans how selection of AFCON squad was done and why deserving players were left out of the team.
Apart from the players, members of the technical bench and FKF officials who had roles to play at AFCON who are the other people the federation funded their travelling and what were their roles in Cairo.
Signed
Football enthusiast