Gor blame KPL security chief Otieno for Top 8 fracas

Gor Mahia FC has accused Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Head of Security GMT Otieno of sparking the disturbances that flared up on Sunday when they surrendered the Top 8 final to Muhoroni Youth at Nyayo National Stadium.

Club Secretary General, Ronald Ngala confirmed the club had not received any communication regarding disciplinary proceedings against them from the KPL as they accused the security boss and former referee’s chief of inflaming an already tense situation when Otieno and Gor Italian physiotherapist Sandro Fantoni clashed.

“I would like the federation and KPL to look keenly into what happened between GMT Otieno and our physiotherapist because it was a shameful image- that of a senior KPL official fighting a technical bench member.

“I was personally in the stadium and was shocked to see them holding each other by the neck. That resulted to the chaos that caused abandonment,” Ngala charged.

He called for Otieno to be sanctioned under the new harsh penalties set by the federation against any club official, player or stakeholder found guilty of inciting fans.

However, Ngala acknowledged the Italian’s volatile temper was a problem for the club but defended Fantoni against fuelling the outbreak of violence that saw the game being held up for over quarter of an hour with Gor trailing 1-0.

The Italian was recently banned for two games for violent conduct while Otieno could not be reached for comment after he was bullied and shoved by Gor officials and stewards when the situation got out of hand after the final whistle.

“If KPL has its own points then let them be docked! It was their own official who caused the trouble that disrupted the official presentation of the trophy. We are not worried about point’s deduction,” Ngala asserted.

The defending league titleholders play arch rivals AFC Leopards on Sunday in another potentially combustible encounter and the secretary believes mayhem will break out during the Mashemeji Derby.

“Those issues should not be dragged into the Sunday’s match security plans. What should be avoided is such irresponsible behaviour by officials,” he underscored.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and KPL jointly announced a raft of strict rules to combat hooliganism where clubs guilty of causing chaos docked points, fork huge fines and expulsion from the league for repeat offences.

Gor were docked three points in the first leg of the 2016 KPL when trouble flared-up in their clash against league leaders Tusker FC who have opened a seven-point gap at the top in the race for the title.

The league management body is yet to issue a statement over the latest incident of crowd trouble that forced police to lob tear gas to quell the situation with efforts to reach KPL CEO, Jack Oguda, who declared disciplinary action would sought fruitless by the time of going to press.

FKF Communications Manager, Barry Otieno, said they would only intervene in the matter should mechanisms in place to punish acts of indiscipline in the league are exhausted.