Stadium hitch hits Tusker's Champions League clash

The CAF Champions League preliminary second leg fixture pitting Kenya’s representative Tusker FC and Djibouti’s AS Arta Solar 7 runs the risk of missing out on a playing ground come Saturday, September 18 when then the do or die clash is supposed to be played.

In an advisory sent out to the media on Thursday evening, the document indicates Nyayo National Stadium as the venue to host the return leg fixture that played to a 1-1 draw in Djibouti last weekend.

“2020/21 FKF Premier League Champions Tusker shall host Arta Solar 7 from Djibouti in the second leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round match on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the Nyayo National Stadium, starting at 4 pm EAT. The first leg, played in Djibouti on Saturday, September 11, 2021, ended 1-1,” the document read.

However, the fixture is in a limbo as the ongoing Africa Deaf Ball Games Qualifiers taking place in Nairobi had already booked the Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani that Saturday ahead of Tusker.

The rubber hits the road with the fact that the Tusker game against Arta Solar cannot be moved to any other ground apart from Nyayo Stadium. This is because, back in May this year, Nyayo was the only venue that was approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the only ground in the country fit to host international matches.

Despite effort to find the true fate of the game, information provided from the responsible officials proved very cagey. An official at Sports Kenya however revealed that there were talks going on behind the scenes to try and reach an agreement over the clash.

“I do not have any progress yet regarding the stadium affairs. What I know is that there are talks taking place behind the scenes. Initially, it is the Deaf Ball Games that had booked to use Nyayo on that Saturday,” an official at Sports Kenya, the body in charge of booking and allocating stadia revealed to Mozzart Sport.

Another Football Kenya Federation official, although without confirmation, hinted that the Deaf Ball Games would be moved to Kasarani.

“Both games will go on but the CAF Champions League match has to be played at Nyayo because it is the only stadium to be approved in the country. The Deaf Games will have to move to Kasarani now,” the official said.

With the game less than 48 hours to kickoff, a looming crisis could possibly be on the cards if the two parties fail to reach an agreement.

Keep it Mozzart Sport for this developing story.