- The men’s national team, Harambee Stars, withdrew from the CECAFA Four-Nation Tournament on Monday, July 21, just hours before their first match against Tanzania.
- Coach McCarthy stated that pulling out was the best decision, as the conditions there posed a risk to the players’ welfare with only a few days remaining before the main tournament.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has explained the last-minute decision to withdraw from the CECAFA Four Nations Tournament just hours before their opening match on Monday, July 21.
Kenya was set to compete in the tournament hosted by Tanzania, alongside Uganda and Senegal, but pulled out shortly before their clash with the hosts.
The team attributed their withdrawal to inadequate logistical arrangements and subpar tournament organization.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday during a training session after the team’s return to the country, the South African tactician described the situation in Tanzania as unfortunate and disappointing, adding that the organizers failed to meet their expectations.
“Tanzania was simply an unfortunate experience.,” McCarthy stated.
We went there with good intentions, but unfortunately, the football decisions made there did not meet our expectations.
So, as a team both the players and the technical staff, we came together and felt that, given our standards, we needed the best possible preparations for CHAN. We need to be ready for CHAN.”
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Why Harambee Stars pulled-out?
McCarthy emphasized that safeguarding the players’ well-being was the paramount reason for pulling out, noting that the conditions in Tanzania were not conducive to competitive play and posed an injury risk.
If we had continued with the tournament, I think it would have been a setback possibly losing players to injuries because the conditions were not favorable for us to operate in.
It wasn’t an environment where we could keep our players fit or perform at the level we expect from ourselves.
So, for those reasons, we felt it was best to prioritize the safety and well-being of the players,” he explained.
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The coach further asserted that returning home was a wise move, especially as the team gears up for a challenging CHAN group stage.
The group we are in is the group of death, and if we are not well prepared, we will face setbacks and people will ask questions.
I don’t want to be making excuses during the group stages. So, coming back was the best possible decision to help us progress, even though it’s a tough group.”
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With just a week remaining before kickoff, Harambee Stars are intensifying their preparations for the tournament, which they will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania from August 2 to August 30.
Their campaign begins on August 3 against DR Congo at the refurbished Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.