Kenya has been dumped out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers by the continental football body Confederation of African Football.

The national football team that had been pooled together with Cameroon, Namibia and Burundi in Group C of the qualifiers that would have seen the top two teams in each group qualify for next year’s continental showpiece in Cote D’Ivore, was expected to kick off their campaign against Cameroon on June 4, but with CAF who have initially included the team in their draw last month with a hope that world football body Fifa would lift the ban, decided to drop Stars as the indefinite suspension persists.

Fifa suspended Kenya indefinitely in February, citing government interference after Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on November 12 following allegations of misuse of funds.

“Kenya have been axed from the qualifiers because the suspension slapped on the country by Fifa three months ago still remains in place. They have not met any of the conditions from Fifa and CAF,” CAF officials sent a communique to FKF.

While suspending Kenya in February, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said “Kenya knew what to do to be reinstated”. However, despite CAF giving the country until 14 days to their first qualifying match against Cameroon to meet Fifa’s conditions for the suspension to be lifted, nothing was done and the Sports CS instead unveiled a Transition Committee to replace the Caretaker Committee that had its tenure expire on May 11.

By Fred Odanga Azelwa.