- Alphonce Omija stated that the tough group gives Kenyan players a chance to build a name for themselves.
- Harambee Stars has been placed in Group A alongside Morocco, Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- CHAN 2024 was delayed to August 2025.
Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija believes the tough 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) group is good for local based players.
Harambee Stars was pooled in Group A alongside the likes of North African heavyweights Morocco in a draw that was conducted at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, January 15.
The group also has the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola and a hard to crack Zambian side.
Golden opportunity
According to Omija, the stiff competition offers Harambee Stars players a chance to build a name for themselves and get professional contracts abroad.
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“It is a good group. It is a group where we as players can market ourselves. So, any player who will get the opportunity to be in the team, it will be a good platform for him to showcase his abilities,” he told SportPesa Blog in an exclusive interview.
Omija, who is one of the best defenders in the country, added that he would be very happy if he makes it to the team that will represent the country in the delayed CHAN tournament.
As maintained by the Gor Mahia FC player, every footballer dreams of playing in a stage such as CHAN, particularly when it is being staged at home.
Mixed feelings
Moreover, Omija, who has had a stint with Omani based club Dhofar, stated that the last minute postponement of the tournament gave him mixed feelings.
“The postponement is good and at the same time bad because there are some teams that had already prepared themselves.
They were ready to hit camp. Others were already in camp. But on the other side, the postponement gives other teams enough time to prepare,” he explained.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was forced to reschedule the event that was planned to be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania between February 1 and February 28 to August due to various reasons, including the former’s level of preparedness.
The new dates of the eagerly awaited tournament is expected to be provided by CAF later this year.