Kaberia, Rachier call for sobriety among fans after Kasarani vandalism

The Ministry of Sports and Heritage has condemned Gor Maiha fans  for hooliganism that blemished the colorful international friendly between the local giants and English Championship side city Hull City on Sunday.

Sports Kenya on Monday had announced shutting down of the facility just four days after its reopening, following destruction of seats in the stadium, before taking a U- turn following consultations to allow the 16-time local champions to play Algeria’s USM Algers in the same venue on Wednesday.

Addressing journalist at the Ministry’s headquarters, Nairobi, Sports Principal Secretary Ambassador Kirimi Kaberia urged football lovers to respect public property, regretting the acts that saw  89 seats damaged at the newly refurbished field.

“I want to urge fans to be responsible. We could face serious sanctions from international bodies due to such behaviour. We want to make Kenya a sports and tourism destination and also host a couple of international  events. This cannot be achieved if the consumers of the game behave this way,” said a visibly disappointed Kaberia.

Kaberia added that repairs are going on in the venue already, noting Anti-hooliganism policy has been set to establish rules of engagement.

“As the Ministry we  are very proud of Gor. Nobody is against the club, but are strongly standing against hooliganism. In the policy we shall also know who will be responsible in case of any damage caused,” Kaberia averred.

The PS  reiterated he will be among the fans who will be in the stadium during the CAF Confederations Cup clash on Wednesday, urging responsible conduct among the fans.

“Nobody will bar fans from accessing the stadium. In fact we want them in large numbers, but must be responsible for their acts. I will also be there to cheer them.”

Gor chairman Ambrose Racheir thanked the Ministry for considering to have the match at Kasarani, pleading with fans to observe sobriety in matches.

“I feel relieved that the Ministry has confirmed the match will be played at Kasarani. I was a worried  man because if Gor Could have been banned from accessing the venue we would have had to look for quick solutions in Uganda or Tanzania. We have very few CAF credited venues which could have been a major headache for us,” said Rachier.

Tags:

Ambrose Rachier Kasarani Hull City fans vandalism USM Algers Peter Kaberia Hooligans

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