Harambee Stars is today set to face off with the Gambia as it seeks a berth in the 2026 Fifa World Cup to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico next journey.
The journey ahead is tough for Kenya, which has never qualified to play in the World Cup finals. It is, however, gratifying to see Kenya at the top of Group F with 18 points, closely followed by Cote d’Ivoire with 16. If the numbers are anything to go by and given the recent enthusiasm for football following Kenya’s dream run at the just concluded CHAN tournament, most Kenyans expect Harambee Stars to trounce the Gambia.
Even as fans await this game, it is important to look back and review how Kenya hosted the CHAN tournament with a view to establishing what we did right, and where we could have done better.
Let us begin by acknowledging that the local organising committee of the CHAN tournament — which ended on a high note on Saturday — did a fabulous job and many teams that took part will remember Kenya as a worthy host.
True, there was much social media drama and brouhaha that characterised the tournament, with Kenyans taking no prisoners in their robust criticism of various teams, players and other stakeholders, including musicians.
Despite this — or because of it — there was much chatter on the web, some of it positive, some not so, but the point is that it kept conversations going about the tournament, which, on the overall, was beneficial in making it felt beyond East Africa. The tiff between Kenyans and Tanzanians stood out in particular, and it is a miracle that it did not degenerate.
I think that the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, spoke for many when he said that this year’s tournament was the most successful in the history of the competition. His words are not to be taken lightly remembering that in the run-up to the tourney, he kept Kenya particularly on its toes over its level of prepared to host the event, not to mention the quality of the stadiums.
That various agencies were mobilised to ensure that Kenya was ready on time is testament that where there is a will, there is a way and when it comes to delivery, Kenyans can do a good job and rise to the challenge at critical times. This is the enduring spirit that defines Kenyans.
That nearly all the matches attracted fans to stadiums was a particular highpoint. In the past, we have always lamented the lack of fans on the terraces during important competitions, particularly football, in various African countries.
Kenyans, however, outdid themselves, snapping up tickets as soon as the portal opened without discrimination. This is a vital lesson that our neighbours, Tanzania and Uganda, need to learn to ensure that interest in a tournament does not collapse just because the host has been eliminated.
There are many other benefits, besides what goes on in the stadiums and on television, to make hosting such events a worthy undertaking.
Still, there is much to learn for the local football fraternity, as well as the government and other stakeholders, on how we can collectively leverage the upside and downside of hosting CHAN to make the 2027 AFCON championship even better and ensure that we give other African countries an experience they will never forget.
One of the lessons, for me as a parent of a young footballer, is the need to invest in talent development over the long term. That Kenyan footballers were paid over Sh7 million in bonuses by President William Ruto must have energised many to wish that they too could don the national colours.
True, even as the players did their patriotic duty, the huge allowances served as a major incentive, not just to them but to other young players who, no doubt, came to understand that football pays. This is a tradition we need to maintain as a nation.
However, to get our national team to perform better in future, it will be imperative to have sustainable mechanisms for talent development and ensuring that we every qualified player from any corner of the country an opportunity to wear the Harambee Stars jersey since it was evident that the team has capacity to marshal people to be patriotic.
Another lesson, particularly for counties, was on the need to set up fan zones to reduce pressure on tickets and also to ensure that the country abides by CAF rules. It was sad to see Kenya being penalised due to poor crowd management, yet this could have been avoided if fan zones had been set in strategic places, not just in Nairobi, but in other regions as well. Homa Bay County, in particular, ought to commended for setting up one such zone on a beach front, complete with amenities that improved user experience.
There is also need to manage traffic better on match days. The idea of blocking roads from 6am did not sit very well with many Kenyans although it is understandable that this had to be done largely because of indiscipline among fans.
It was also inconveniencing for fans to have to walk long distances to access venues and a way surely needs to be found for those willing to drive to the venues to do so in future and for designated buses to be allowed to ferry fans.
Today might be too late to get this done, but surely, next time Harambee Stars is playing at home, this is something that Football Kenya should consider. After all, other countries, and cities, have demonstrated that it is possible to have orderly entrance into stadiums, the means of getting there notwithstanding.
mbugua@nairobilawmonthly.com
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