Ex-Harambee Stars coach Mulee defends lateness to start CHAN preps

Former Kenya coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has dismissed suggestions that the team had started residential training late ahead of the 2024 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) scheduled for August.

A provisional squad of 30 players named by head coach Benni McCarthy officially started camp on Friday, and were welcomed to Kasarani camp by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, and Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed.

“In Africa, there is no lateness,” Mulee said as quoted by Flashscore while responding to concerns by a section of Kenyans, who felt that the team had started the camp late.

“In Africa, any time is tea time, so I don’t think it was possible to start preparations earlier enough because our leagues just concluded recently, and we couldn’t have interfered with the players because they also needed a rest after the gruelling season.

“Again, if you look at the calendar, the CHAN will kick off in late August, so we have a very good chance to train and go out there and perform. Staying long in camp does not mean to win; it depends on what the coach has planned for the team in terms of preparations.

“So, I don’t think we have started preparations late; we still have enough time to train the boys and get them to the level that they can perform, so the timing is very good for the team before the tournament gets underway.”

Kenya are in Group A alongside DR Congo and Morocco, as well as Zambia and Angola.