Nyayo stadium approved for World Cup Qualifiers  – KBC

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers slated for June this year, Kenya has received a shot in the arm after Confederation of African Football (CAF), cleared one of the Country’s top facilities (Nyayo National Stadium), for use and hosting of home games.

President Uhuru Kenyatta reopened the refurbished facility in 2020, after three years of renovations at a cost of over Sh.650 million.

The 37-year-old Stadium located at the city center has hosted league and the national team Harambee Stars matches whenever it is in operation.

Kenya’s famous club encounter – the Mashemeji Derby between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia – have always been held at the stadium and its unavailability saw the matches shifted to the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The Football Kenya Federation has confirmed the national team will move to camp on May 27 to start preparations for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifying matches.

The team’s preparations had suffered uncertainty after the government’s ban on sporting activities owing to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the federation to stop the FKF Premier League until further notice.

However, President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed on Saturday the suspension on sporting activities had been lifted but maintained action can only return under strict guidelines from both the Ministries of Health and Sports.

As per the fixtures, Kenya will play host to Uganda at Kasarani Stadium, in the opener on June 5 or 6, before travelling to face Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali a week later.

A double-header fixture against Mali is set for Bamako and Nairobi between September 3 and 8, before the rematches against Uganda in Kampala and Rwanda in Nairobi in October.