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Africa: Soccer - Broke KFF Wants to Pull Plug on Stars
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The Nation (Nairobi)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Charles Nyende
Nairobi
Kenya's 2010 World Cup campaign appears to be doomed even before it has started following the admission by a top football official that there was no money to prepare the team.
"There is no point of hiding the truth from Kenyans. The federation simply does not have the money to compete in the qualifiers," Kenya Football Federation third vice chairman Jacob "Kabanze" Odundo said on Thursday.
"We have looked for sponsorship from the corporate sector but in vain. We are now hoping the government comes to our assistance. If that fails then we can as well not assemble any team," Odundo, who is also the KFF technical committee chairman, said.
He went on: "It will be back to unpaid allowances, no money to pay for air tickets, lack of kit. Kenyans should be told this." The federation has been in what their secretary general Sam Obingo said "intense" consultation with the Government all through this week to solicit for public money to assist in Harambee Stars' preparations.
Obingo earlier this week said the federation was hoping the government agreed to cater for the services of a foreign coach and assist in other financial obligations for Harambee Stars.
Kenya are in Group Two of the World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifier together with Guinea, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
A packed international fixture sees Harambee Stars playing two home and two away matches in the space of 21 days beginning with a trip to Namibia on May 31.
"To prepare for a single fixture we need at least Sh5 million. Where are we going to get all this money?" Kabanza wondered.
"I can tell you if we do not get a sponsor we will continue to struggle. It will be a bumpy road. We can as well not participate or forget about qualifying for 2010. This team is for everyone and not KFF's. It needs everybody's support," Kabanze said.
Potential sponsors have held back giving money to the KFF over the persistent leadership wrangles in the federation and its credibility problem.
Obingo admitted that the federation was in the red and its only fall-back plan should the government not step in was "poor preparations".
"If the government does not come we will call up a team, put it in camp and hope for a good Samaritan to come to our assistance," Obingo said.
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This is presumably after a coach has been named. A contracted coach has yet to be enlisted by the KFF.
The federation is expected to make a decision by end of this week on whether to hire a foreign coach or pick a local technical bench.
Indications are that the team of head coach Jacob Mulee assisted by Twahir Muhiddin and Zedekiah Odhiambo, will be retained for the upcoming fixtures. After Namibia, Kenya host Guinea on June 7 and Zimbabwe on June 14 before travelling to Guinea.
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