The National football team has qualified for the 2019 Federation Cup Of African Nations (AFCON) following the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee decision to disqualify Sierra Leone from the tournament.

Kenya has been out of AFCON for the last 15 years and Harambee’s stars’ qualification for the 2019 tournament is a big fete.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa among other leaders congratulated the national team for the milestone.

“The success of our national football team is a game changer in our sports. We are proud of what our young people are doing to improve the standards of the game in the country,” Uhuru said.

“This championship has eluded us for the past 15 years, I thank our boys for putting up a spirited fight against all the teams in their pool to see them qualify to represent Kenya,” the CS said.

Sierra Leone, which is in Group F of the qualifiers alongside Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia, has not been able to play their last three matches due to a FIFA ban on their Football Association. The team had only played two matches before the ban hence failed to meet the requisite total of qualification matches.

ELIUD KIPCHOGE NAMED IAAF MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Athlete Eliud Kipchoge has been crowned as the 2018 IAAF male athlete of the year at the at the Athletic Awards ceremony in Monaco.

Kipchoge set the marathon world record (2:01:39) in Berlin in September, winning his third London Marathon. He became the first Kenyan to win the coveted title in the last eight years after David Rudisha in 2010.

Colombian triple jump queen Caterine Ibarugen is the 2018 IAAF Female Athlete of the Year.

William Samoei Ruto‏: Congratulations to Eliud Kipchoge for being named IAAF Male Athlete of the Year 2018 at the awards ceremony in Monaco. A legend of the game, Kipchoge deserves the highest accolade for his prowess, consistency, tact, endurance, dominance and strength of character

Raila Odinga: Congratulations Eliud Kipchoge on being named the 2018 IAAF Male Athlete of the Year last night after setting the marathon world record in Berlin earlier this year. You have done Kenya proud. Keep inspiring our youth.