This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Kenya's football fans are set to benefit from the completion of the Nyayo National Stadium renovation, which is nearing completion after a four-year delay.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to send an inspection team to Nairobi to assess the stadium's readiness to host international matches, following a tour by the Federation's International Match Organizing Committee (IMOC) in June 2020.
IMOC chair Michael Ouma led the team that inspected the stadium, which is expected to be completed in the next month. The stadium's renovation started in 2017, but the slow progress meant Kenya missed out on hosting the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2018.
According to Ouma, the CAF inspectors will travel to the country once the airport is re-opened, following the initial inspection tour in March 2020 that was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are here to check on the facilities and whether they meet CAF and FIFA standards. Things like changing rooms, medical room, media facilities as well as stadium security are very integral and we need to have a look at them," Ouma told Capital Sports in June 2020.
The completion of the Nyayo Stadium will come as a welcome relief to the Federation as they will have a second alternative to Kasarani. The Stadium is also looked at as an easily accessible venue which means more fans will attend games and offer the much-needed full home ground advantage.
Kenya's representatives in the CAF Inter-Club tournaments will also breathe a sigh of relief as a return to Nyayo will be more than welcome.
