Macdonald Mariga - Photo Credit - FKF Media.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President Macdonald Mariga is confident that Kenya will make it from their Group A and qualify for the last sixteen of the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament scheduled for August 2025.
The East African nation were drawn in Group A alongside two-time winners Morocco and DR Congo, as well as Angola and Zambia, in a pool packed with past champions and quality teams during the event held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday.
According to Mariga, who won the UEFA Champions League trophy with Inter Milan, Kenya will not be scared of their opponents and they will qualify from the group unscathed.
“Morocco is a good team but now we are also well prepared, it will be a good game, good for the fans and good for our build up," Mariga told Pan-Africa Football after the draw. “Morocco have competitive league but again Angola we have never lost against them here in Kenya.
“It is a very competitive group and we anticipate a very competitive group. We don’t need to be scared of the opponent it’s our opportunity to grow as a nation and we have enough time to prepare for the tournament, so I think we will do good in this group."
On what plans they have for the team in terms of preparations, Mariga said: “Our plans is to have a lot of friendly matches for the team and then make sure they stay in camp, we must have our players together to know each and play as one unity, and we will prepare the team well and professionally.”
Mariga concluded: “We have managed many draws against Morocco a couple of times, and I think we have a good team and we will enjoy the tournament and we will qualify from the group stages.”
The CHAN has had seven previous editions and will be played in East Africa for the first time since Rwanda were hosts in 2016. Morocco and Democratic Republic of Congo have each lifted the trophy twice before, along with Tunisia, Libya and defending champions Senegal.
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