 Fans are looking forward to the Nations Cup |
Kenya's Football Federation (KFF) has insisted that its debt to Caf will not prevent the national team from going to next year's Nations Cup finals. Last week Caf warned Kenya that failure to remit US$13,000 in unpaid dues may result in the Harambee Stars being stopped from taking part in Tunisia 2004.
But KFF treasurer Mohammed Hatimy told BBC Sport website that the debt was born out of the failure by local clubs to pay the required fees for their participation in continental club competitions.
He said: "This has nothing to do with the Harambee Stars' participation in the Nations Cup.
"We will remit the money once we receive it from the concerned clubs. But even if we don't pay we'll still go to Tunisia.''
Criticism of the KFF intensified after the Kenya Revenue Authority announced that it had frozen the federation's bank account because it owed over US$10,000 in unpaid taxes.
Hatimy blamed the KFF's precarious financial position on the team's succesful qualifying campaign for the Nations Cup finals.
"We don't have money because we spent everything during the Nations Cup matches.
"We don't have a sponsor and we've been relying on Fifa to finance us. But it's not true that the federation is corrupt," he fumed.
"This is all about football politics from people who're jealous because we've guided the Harambee Stars to Tunisia.''
MMIX
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Even if we don't pay we'll still go to Tunisia 