Kenya and Zimbabwe have been denied entry to the next Africa Cup of Nations. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the two countries have been excluded from the next African Cup of Nations (CAN) scheduled to take place in Côte d’Ivoire in 2023. The suspension of their federation by FIFA on 24 February due to government interference was the reason for the decision. “Kenya and Zimbabwe, suspended for political interference, have not yet met the criteria required by the FIFA Congress as a prerequisite for lifting their suspension,” explained CAF in a statement. As a result, the two qualifying groups into which Kenya and Zimbabwe were drawn will be composed of only three teams. The Kenyan government has placed the federation under supervision following accusations of embezzlement against its president, Nick Mwendwa. In Zimbabwe, the federation’s directors were dismissed for financial irregularities by a government sports body. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase is due to start on 1 June 2022.
