Division One clubs predict doom for Kenyan football should Fifa slap a ban

Clubs taking part in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Division One League have warned that a Fifa ban on the country will spell doom for  most of them as they will lose opportunity to earn promotion.

According to the clubs, the stability built over the last four years risk being eroded, as well as the risk  of losing sponsors.

According to Patrick Orwako of BuruBuru Sports, the current office has brought stability in all the leagues across the country due to establishment of structures.

“We have well organized leagues and we don’t hear of teams going to court because of promotion or relegation. Because of these, sponsors have started coming on board.

“We risk losing all this and sponsors running away as no one will want to associate with someone who has been banned by Fifa,” he said.

He also pointed out that football has grown tremendously in the last four years with a marked improvement in the performance of Kenyan teams.

“We qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations and the women version of the tournament as well, for the first time. Our clubs also have done well in continental events.

“We have an under-13 and under-15 league and all this risk being going down the drain if we are banned.”

Geoffrey Indengu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bungoma Super Stars said the clubs risk losing out on talented players who will not have an opportunity to play for Harambee Stars, in case of a ban.

“Our players are young and their dream is to play for the national teams at some point in their career. If we get banned, that dream will go down the drain. My plea is that we resolve our issues internally before it gets too far and Fifa decides to ban us.

“I ask that those who want to contest in the elections be allowed to present their papers and delegates be allowed to make a decision on whom to elect.”

Patrick Wekesa, the Secretary General of Transfoc said a ban will force the clubs to start from scratch.

“We have made good progress over the last four years. If Kenya is banned, we will be forced to go back to scratch and risk taking our talent to the drain,” he said.

There is unease hanging over Kenya’s football after Fifa rubbished a ruling by the Sports Disputes Tribunal that had called on the world football governing body to form a Normalization Committee to guide the process.

SDT, in its ruling, also invalidated the FKF elections that had reached the county level.

Fifa is yet to give a way forward though the matter of payment of former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche is also on the cards.

Fifa had ordered FKF that Amrouche be paid some Sh106 million for wrongful dismal.  However the federation and Ministry of Sports failed to pay the monies by March 11 deadline and though Fifa extended the window by a further one month, it slapped the federation with a Sh4 million fine for failing to pay within he stipulated time.

FKF chief Nick Mwendwa is on record appealing to the government to step in and salvage the situation.