Wanyama concerned about Harambee Stars missing 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Montreal Impact midfielder Victor Wanyama (left) in action during his first training session with the club in Montreal, Canada on March 4, 2020. PHOTO | COURTESY

Kenya captain Victor Wanyama has expressed concern over Harambee Stars' risk of being kicked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

This is after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) were directed by Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)  on September 19 last year to pay former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche  Sh109 million as compensation for wrongful dismissal.

 FKF fired the Belgian in 2014, but was reinstated at the tail-end of Sam Nyamweya’s term in 2016 after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Nick Mwendwa’s regime, however, declined to deal with him leading to the present situation. Amrouche first won his case for wrongful dismissal before Fifa Players Status Committee and later at Court of Arbitration for Sport where he was awarded Sh109million.

However, FKF having failed to settle his dues within the set deadline, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on Friday 24 set May 18, as the date Adel Amrouche’s compensation case will be resubmitted for evaluation. 

Pleading with FKF to make sure Harambee Stars participate in the World Cup qualifying matches, Wanyama told BBC Sport Africa:"I t hink we have a chance by playing the qualifiers." 

"But it is true we could be banned by Fifa because of money they owed our former coach.

"It is a shame that something like that can cost a lot of players the opportunity to participate on the world stage.

"I want to urge the FKF to please find a way to settle the matter quickly so that we can continue with our dream to be on the world stage."

Zimbabwe suffered a similar fate for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Harambee Stars now stand a real risk of being ejected from the road to Qatar 2022.

Harambee Stars are in Group E of the Qatar qualifiers alongside Mali, Uganda and Rwanda.