Kenya clears Harambee Stars to camp in France to prepare for AFCON

NAIROBI, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's national football team budget worth 244 million shillings (2.4 million U.S. dollars) has been approved clearing any hurdle for the team to train in France ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.

Kenya team, Harambee Stars, will also play four international friendly matches in their build-up to the AFCON, which will be played in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on Friday said they will do everything to make Harambee Stars performance as best as possible.

"The government had approved the 244 million shillings budget submitted by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) for preparing the national team ahead AFCON," said Mohamed on Friday in Nairobi.

Kenya's Sports, Art and Social Development Fund chairman Jackson Tuwei said the president's directive to fund all national teams is being taken seriously and they will want to support the players attain the feat to see Kenya lift the AFCON title.

"We have discussed the issue and have resolved to give the Stars their money as part of the budget tabled forward by FKF. We have given them 244 million shillings and that money has already been wired to their accounts," Tuwei said.

Kenya and Ghana emerged the best to secure ticket from Group F edging out Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

The final qualifier matches will be played next weekend with Harambee Stars travelling to Accra to face Ghana's Black Stars in a dead rubber clash.

Coach Sebastian Migne has said he will take the match as a part of his build up for the AFCON finals.