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A compromise deal between Football Kenya federation (FKF) and the Sports Ministry has averted a looming crisis in this weekend’s Champions of Africa Nations (CHAN) second leg tie between Harambee Stars and Taifa Stars of Tanzania.

Kenya had been teetering on the brink of a two-year FIFA ban had the country failed to honour the home tie to Africa’s second tier international competition specially designed for home-based players. 

FKF had faulted the government for not disbursing funds in time but the ministry stepped in yesterday and met part of the costs.

Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia said the government will foot the match officials’ air tickets and other bills but left the emotive players’ allowances at FKF’s expense. “We do not have enough money and there are so many federations with plenty of budgets and pressing issues so we cannot afford to do everything,” Kaberia said yesterday. 

“It is a collaborative effort between us and FKF to make the game a success, therefore we have met part of the costs while the federation will shoulder some. But the most important thing is that the game will go on as planned,” he added. 

FKF president Nick Mwendwa confirmed that the government had indeed taken care of part of the costs but left the burden of players’ allowances to the federation.

“The match will go on. We don’t have money to prepare for this game but we will just go back to creditors to bail us out. The game has to go on,” said Mwendwa, adding that he had also borrowed money to facilitate the first leg in Dar es Salaam last weekend. 

It is the government’s obligation to facilitate all national teams for international assignments but budgetary constraints have hampered many federations.