Kenya’s National soccer team of Harambee Stars have just pulled out of the Four Nations Tournament of Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations, which is taking place in Arusha, Tanzania.
This is despite the fact that the team had already arrived at the reddish Karatu Township in the Northern Tanzanian region of Arusha, on Saturday, July 19, 2025.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) later released an official statement to inform the public that the Harambee Stars have withdrawn from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Four Nations Tournament in Tanzania.
Harambee Stars drove to Arusha, Tanzania where they extended the journey to Karatu Township, located some 150 kilometers from the city where CECAFA matches are being staged.
Kenya becomes the second country to pull out of the tourney, after the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) also quit the event a week before the event, claiming transportation challenges.
Brazzaville had been enlisted to play CECAFA tourney after Sudan pulled out.
After quitting, Congo Brazzaville slot in CECAFA was again filled by Senegal.
The match between Kenya and Tanzania was to be played at the Black Rhino Stadium in the small hamlet of Karatu, near Ngorongoro, but Harambee announced to quit within a few hours prior to the game.
The timetable was adjusted a bit, because Senegal was yet to arrive in Tanzania, therefore Kenya was to play with Tanzania on Monday, July 21, 2025 in Karatu.
Other participating countries in the CECAFA, tourney are Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.
However, it seems the team members saw the condition to be unsuitable for them and drove back in the four luxury minivans that took them to the location over the weekend.
But according to the FKF statement, the decision to call it quits, 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.
Harambee Stars will therefore be returning back to Kenya and resume the team’s preparations for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, with full focus now shifting to ensuring optimal readiness for the assignment ahead.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) said it remains committed to providing the national team with the best possible environment to compete and represent the country with pride.