FKF President weighs CECAFA Cup hosting amid CHAN, AFCON preparations

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has addressed growing uncertainty surrounding Kenya’s capacity to host the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, amid extensive preparations for CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027.

Speaking during the CAF inspection briefing on Tuesday at the Talanta Plaza, Mohammed acknowledged the logistical challenges posed by ongoing renovations at key stadiums across Kenya and the region.

With both the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo National Stadium undergoing critical upgrades, the federation is now exploring two potential solutions.

“We are considering two main options. One is to host the tournament towards the end of June when some venues may be temporarily available. The other is to stage the tournament outside the region entirely to avoid disrupting the progress of infrastructure works,” noted Mohammed.

He emphasized that no decision has been finalized yet, but discussions are underway with regional stakeholders to find the most viable solution to ensure the tournament’s success.

This comes as Nicholas Musonye, chairman of Kenya’s National Steering Committee for CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027, revealed that the idea of rescheduling or co-hosting the CECAFA tournament was informally proposed during the CECAFA Congress in Juba last month.

“During the Congress, the three Local Organizing Committees met on the sidelines and suggested we consider May or June as potential windows to host the Challenge Cup,” Musonye stated.

CECAFA Executive Director Auka Gecheo confirmed that the proposal had been tabled, with PS, Elijah Mwangi, confirming when he appeared before the National Assembly’s Committee on Regional Integration on 24 April, that the tournament will serve as a full-dress rehearsal for CHAN, and that consensus was reached for the tournament to be held from June 1-21, 2025.

If approved, this could be the first time in the competition’s 98-year history that the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup would be co-hosted or held outside East and Central Africa. The tournament, which began in 1926 as the Gossage Cup, remains Africa’s oldest football competition.

The last edition was staged in Uganda in 2019, and the upcoming edition will mark its return after a 6-year hiatus.