Kakamega Homeboyz will be in the draw for the Caf Confederation Cup after being cleared by the Confederation of African Football Federation (Caf) ahead of the draw in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.
According to a list of 52 teams that will take part in the competition, Tanzania will be represented by Singida Big Stars FC while KCCA FC will be Uganda’s flag bearers. Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has promised to make Kenyans proud as they take part in their first-ever continental assignment.
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“I am very elated Homeboyz have been cleared to take part and I want to assure Kenyans we will make them proud,” said Shimanyula adding: “We will be carrying Kenya’s flag and wish to ask every football-loving fan to rally behind us because we mean business and we will not let them down.”
Homeboyz’s clearance comes just a day after Kenya’s representatives in the Champions League were officially locked out of the competition. K’Ogalo, who were due to make a return to the competition, were omitted from the list of 54 teams cleared for the tournament after they failed to clear monies owed to three of their former players.
On Friday, Gor Mahia were facing expulsion from the competition after they failed to pay former players – Congolese striker Yangayay Sando Sando, Burundian attacker Jules Ulimwengu, and Malian goalkeeper Adama Keita – their accrued dues from salaries and allowances as ordered by the world governing body Fifa.
This promoted Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo, to hold a meeting with FKF President Nick Mwendwa in a bid to help Gor Mahia keep their place in the competition while the Kenyan giants through chairman Ambrose Rachier petitioned FKF to be reinstated but to no avail.
It will be the third straight season that Gor Mahia will be missing out on continental action since in the previous campaign, Tusker represented Kenya by virtue of winning the league title while last year, Kenya did not have a representative as the country was serving a Fifa ban.