Afcon 2021 Qualifiers: Harambee Stars risk being thrown out of Egypt hotel

The Harambee Stars risk being thrown out of their hotel in Cairo just a day before facing Egypt in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa has revealed to Goal the hotel management has threatened to kick out the Kenyan national team because their accommodation has not been paid for.

Mwendwa blames the government for the situation, which threatens to scuttle the Harambee Stars' first Group G match on Thursday.

“Since Friday Ministry officials have been promising that they will settle the payment, regrettably, this has not happened. We have since been informed by the hotel the team will be evicted and a few members of the technical team detained until payment is done,” Mwendwa told Goal.

Mwendwa further revealed the federation carried out all the procedures required before selecting the hotel where the team will be accommodated. 

“We always send a person in advance to look for a hotel which can satisfactorily accommodate the team. Once he identifies the one which has everything the team will need, he travels back to the country with an estimated budget,” the FKF chief added.

“We sent the budget to the government and they promised to release the money to FKF on Friday but up to now no single cent has been remitted to us. The promise has remained just empty talk.

“The Harambee Starlets went to Zambia and they [the goverment] did not pay a single shilling for their travel and accommodation.

“This is the same trick they want to pull on the Harambee Stars. I know they want the team to honour the match and fail to remit the money thereafter.”

The Pharaohs will host Kenya in a match expected to kick-off at 19:00 pm EAT.