This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
Francis Kimanzi, the Harambee Stars coach, has spoken out against the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup organizers, criticizing their poor planning and the use of artificial turf at the tournament held in Kampala, Uganda, in March 2019.
Despite Kenya finishing third in the tournament, Kimanzi expressed his disappointment with the organization, stating that the artificial turf caused injuries to his players. He also criticized the organizers for staging the tournament during the domestic leagues, which put pressure on the teams to win.
"We have to be grateful for finishing third. The only sad part is that I have to go back home with injured players yet I received them when fit," Kimanzi said.
He further criticized the Cecafa officials for limiting the number of participating players to 20, which he believed was not enough for teams that would be featuring in the Chan tournament. Kimanzi also questioned the decision to stage the tournament on artificial turf, which he believed was not suitable for players.
"You put us in an artificial turf, something that Fifa themselves are planning to ban because it is not good to players. It is really difficult for players to express themselves on such surfaces," Kimanzi said.
