Kenya’s Harambee Stars will get at least Sh58 million ($450,000) from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for reaching the quarter-final stage of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan).

Harambee Stars’ earnings from the 19-nation, four-week biennial tournament could go up should the team reach the semi-finals or the final. Kenya are co-hosting the competition with Uganda and Tanzania.

CAF announced a record prize purse of Sh1.3 billion ($10,400,000) for the tournament, with the winner receiving Sh452.2 million ($3,500,000). This represents 75 percent increase from the previous amount.

The runners-up will pocket Sh155 million ($1,200,000) while the teams that finish third and fourth will receive Sh90.4 million ($700,000) and Sh77. 5 million ($600,000) respectively.

The four losers at the quarter-final stage will each pocket Sh58.1 million ($450,000). This is where Kenya currently lies, with further progression in the competition guaranteeing the team more money.

However, earnings from tournaments such as Chan and Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals goes to the country’s football federation, and the amount of money the players receive depends on their agreement with the federation.

FKF president Hussein Mohammed and Secretary General Harold Ndege did not respond to enquiries by Nation Sport regarding their agreement with the players on the amount they will receive from the tournament’s earnings.

Drawn in Group “A”, Kenya booked a ticket to the tournament’s quarter-final round on Thursday evening after two-time champions, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) defeated Angola 2-0 at the 48,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani in Nairobi.

After playing three matches, Kenya tops the standings in the pool with seven points followed by two-time champions Morocco on six points from the same number of matches.

DRC are placed third with six points from three matches while Angola are ranked fourth with four points from four matches. Zambia are bottom of the group with no point from three matches.

Ahead of the group’s last matches tomorrow, both Angola and Zambia have already been eliminated from the competition.

Since Kenya registered a 1-0 win over both DRC and Morocco, Harambee Stars are assured of a place in the last eight round even if they lose to Zambia tomorrow, thanks to a head to head count.

Morocco and DRC clash tomorrow, with the best either of the teams can collect being nine points.

A draw would see both Morocco and DRC tie on seven points with Kenya hence Harambee Stars qualification courtesy of a superior head to head count against the two teams.

On top of the earnings from CAF, Harambee Stars’ 42-man squad is expected to receive Sh60 million from President William Ruto for reaching the quarter-finals stage.

The Head of State made the promise to the players when he joined them for breakfast on August 2. Should the team reach semi-finals, they will receive an additional Sh70 million while an appearance at the final will earn the team Sh90 million bonus.

Reaching the final with a 100 per cent record will bring Harambee Stars’ total earning from win and performances bonuses to Sh500 million.

Already, each person in Harambee Stars squad has received Sh2.5 million from President Ruto for their impressive performances in their three previous group matches.

The Head of State promised each squad member Sh1 million for every win and Sh500, 000 for a draw.

Apart from securing a 1-0 win over both Morocco and DRC, Kenya also drew 1-1 with Angola.

On Monday, President Ruto increased the stake by promising each squad member Sh2.5 million each should they defeat Zambia tomorrow.

Should they win the quarter-finals, each squad member will receive additional Sh1 million and a two bedroom house while victory in the semi-finals will see every member of the team receive Sh1 million and a three-bedroom house.

CAF has extended the financial rewards to teams that finish bottom in the pool. The three teams that finish bottom in the five-team Groups “A”, “B” and “C” will each receive a prize of Sh25.8 million ($200,000).

A similar amount will be received by all the teams that finish fourth in the three pools alongside the bottom-placed team in the four-team Group “D”.

For the three teams that emerge third in the five-team Groups “A”, “B” and “C” along with the third-placed team in Group “D”, they will each receive Sh38.7 million ($300,000).