The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has openly expressed its dismay following Kenya’s eleventh-hour withdrawal from the Four Nations tournament hours before the kick off of the competition , which was set to start on Monday July 21st ,2025 in Arusha, Tanzania.
CECAFA Secretary General Auka Gecheo minced no words, terming the move as “unfair” and lamenting the extensive efforts made by the regional body to meet Kenya’s demands.
“We find the withdrawal of Kenya to be unfair, especially after extensive efforts were made to meet the federation’s requests,” Gecheo stated, highlighting the frustration within the regional football fraternity.
The abrupt pull-out comes despite the Harambee Stars having already arrived in Arusha on Saturday morning, ready for their scheduled opener against the hosts, Tanzania.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) later announced the Harambee Stars’ withdrawal, citing advice from head coach Benni McCarthy, who reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with some aspects of the organisers’ preparations.
“This decision has been made following recommendations and advice from the team’s technical bench, led by Head Coach Benni McCarthy, after a thorough assessment of the prevailing conditions, which were deemed unsuitable for the team’s participation and overall preparation,” FKF said
However, CECAFA has reiterated that the tournament will proceed as planned with the remaining participants: Uganda, Tanzania, and the African Nations Championships (CHAN) defending champions, Senegal.
The revised fixture schedule sees hosts Tanzania facing Uganda on Tuesday, before the Ugandans take on Senegal on Friday, July 25th.
Tanzania will then wrap up the round-robin tournament against Senegal on Sunday. This firm stance by CECAFA underscores its commitment to regional football development despite unforeseen challenges.
Meanwhile, Harambee Stars are now back in Kenya to continue their preparations for the upcoming CHAN tournament, which they will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
The incident, however, puts a spotlight on coordination between national federations and regional bodies, especially as major continental events approach.
