Nairobi — Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum has said CAF will send a team to Nairobi 'in the next one or two weeks' to re-assess Nyayo Stadium to ascertain whether it can host the Harambee Stars World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast.
Kenya had been set to take the two games to Malawi, due to the absence of a CAF approved stadium, with Nyayo closed down for renovations while the Kasarani Stadium has been closed since last December.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Sports, Tum hopes that the second round of inspections, after the first ruled the stadium out, would pass it fit to have the Harambee Stars play there.
"CAF inspection team has confirmed that they will be in the country in one or two weeks time to inspect Nyayo stadium again," Tum told the Committee.
He added; "The fact that CAF team has agreed to come again for an inspection exercise after a request by CS gives the country and football fans hopes of watching Harambee Stars start their World Cup qualifier campaign on the home soil."
Chair Dan Wanyama noted that the Committee was concerned with information that World Cup qualifier matches by the national team would be held in Malawi.
Nyayo has been closed to any activity since the Mashemeji Derby duel pitting Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards three weeks ago, and this has drawn ire from not only the football fraternity but also athletes, who have cried out over lack of a training facility.
The national trials for the African Athletics Championships have also been pushed to the Ulinzi Sports Complex, which would mean that any times posted by athletes would not be recognized by World Athletics as the facility has not been approved by them.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
This in turn will make it tough for athletes to clinch qualification times for the Olympic Games.
Kenya is set to host Burundi on June 8 and African champions Ivory Coast three days later in match day three and four of the World Cup qualifiers, and the country is running out of time to confirm the venues for the two matches.
"The implications of not hosting qualifier matches at home are bad to the country and the national team. It is because of this reason that the CS has put all mechanisms in place to ensure that the country complies with all the requirements," Tum further told the Parliamentary Committee.
He noted that a lot of renovations have been undertaken following the closure of the stadium.
Meanwhile, Tum has confirmed that the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega has been ruled out as a potential host for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) which might be held next year.
As thus, the Ministry and Football Kenya Federation (FKF) have looked at the Nyayo Stadium as a fallback plan.
