NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 30 – Kenya’s Harambee Stars have been paired against Burundi in the first round of qualification for the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) which will be held in Ethiopia.
Stars will be looking to qualify for the tournament for the first time ever having missed in all the past four editions. The team missed out on playing the competition last year after Kenya was stripped of the hosting rights and the side will be looking to earn a ticket for next year’s tournament in Ethiopia.
This is the second time in the qualification process that Kenya has been paired against Burundi. The two sides clashed in the 2014 qualifiers where Burundi won 1-0 on aggregate after winning the first leg and forcing a 0-0 draw in the return tie in Nairobi.
For the 2016 event, Kenya missed out after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Ethiopia, losing the first leg away in Bahir Dar before drawing 0-0 in the return tie in a match that saw Kenya miss three penalties in both home and away legs.
Head coach Sebastien Migne has been keenly following the local league and will be hopeful of putting up a strong squad for the qualifiers.
If Stars go past the first round, then they will be paired up against the winner of the tie pitting Tanzania and Sudan with the winner joining hosts Ethiopia for the competition next year.
CAF Says it will set the dates for the qualifiers.
