Ahead of the final on Saturday, Victor Wanyama, ambassador for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA, has praised the excellent organisation displayed by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in the tournament this far.
In an exclusive TV interview with KBC on Monday, Wanyama described the competition as an excellent platform for young players from Africa and emphasised the significant impact that the large number of fans had in propelling Harambee Stars until their quater final exit.
“It’s nice to host this CHAN tournament for young players. It’s a big motivation, and it gives them hunger to be in the tournament. It’s a big trophy,I wish we could still be in the tournament. Iam still proud of the Kenya team and what they have achieved in the tournament. It’s great to show the people what CAF has done, and we will be set for the winning team.” Said Wanyama
Kenyan fans’ match attendance was the largest among the three hosts, which was key to the Harambee Stars’tars’ unbeaten run in their four group matches.
Wanyama continued, “The tournament has been really a success so far; the organisation, the way we are selling tickets, the way CAF has arranged everything, and the group stage havee been really electric with fans. The turnout of fans shows we are back to football. It’s been a long time since I saw a big number of fans,, and we hope big things will come when AFCON 2027 comes.”
The former Harambee Stars Captain said the tournament has given Kenya’s sports infrastructure a facelift which is key football talent development urging the government to invest more on sports facilities.
“The impact is huge, especially in the infrastructure. The pitches are really in good condition, which is a motivation to many footballers. If you have good facilities,the boys can play. Young people will be working harder to play on the stage, and it’s good to see people from outside coming and exploringng Kenya. Let’s invest more in infrastructure,and we can see a lot of great talents and put Kenya on the Africa and World map.” Wanyama stated
Concerning Harambee Stars’ performance in CHAN, Wanyama,who has plied his trade previously in England, Scotland, Belgiumm and Canada, gave the team a clean bill of health and praised head coach Benni McCarthy’s inspiration and ideologies that have invigorated the team and restored trust and pride among the fans.
“We were just unlucky; wee did improve a lot, and we have seen what can be done with good preparations. We have a good coach in Benny. We need to support him. We are trying to get back to where we belong. The fans have really pushed our boys; congrats to all the fans, and I hope they will be doing that to our leagues.” He continued.
He says CHAN has provided a stage for numerous players to display their skills, and with so many scouts watching the games, most of them will be noticed and signed by large clubs.
Wanyama predicted a Morocco vs Sudan final this Saturday from 6pm at the Kasarani stadium.
“Morocco looks set for the final,, and my prediction is Morocco vs Sudan in the final.” He said
The trophy made up of gold and silver was received at KBC early on Monday by the Managing Director Agnes Kalekye, accompanied by department Heads.
After a two day break the CHAN resumes tomorrow with two semi finals;Madagascar taking on Sudan at 5 30pm at the Benjamin Mkapa stadium in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania to be followed by Morocco vs Senegal in the last semi from 8 30pm at the Mandela national stadium in Kampala.
