President William Ruto has announced the establishment of a national Bottom-up Under-19 football tournament.
Ruto stated during his Jamhuri Day speech that the Under-19 competition will begin at the ward level in each of Kenya’s 47 counties as part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s Football Vision 2030.
The Bottom-Up competition is part of the government’s larger plan to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside other East African nations, as well as qualify the national men’s football team, the Harambee Stars, for the 2030 World Cup.
“As part of this plan, I have accepted to champion a grassroots football development program that will see the national government work with county governments to invest heavily in youth football,” Ruto said.
According to Ruto, preparations for a Bottom-up football tournament featuring under-19 teams from all 47 counties are well underway.
“This is the first step in our Football Vision 2030 where we target to see Harambee Stars play at the 2030 World Cup and Kenya host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Together, let us build Kenyan football Bottom-up, from the grassroots of our villages to the grand stage of the World Cup,” he added.
Harambee Stars have never qualified for the Fifa World Cup and their last appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations was in 2019 in Cairo, Egypt.
The Cabinet, chaired by President Ruto, approved the proposal to host the 2027 Afcon alongside other EAC nations on Tuesday.
