Leopards suspend four over Tusker match-fixing claims

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants AFC Leopards have terminated the contracts of four senior players among them top scorer Kepha Aswani on serious allegations of match-fixing, under-performance and indiscipline.

Club chairman Dan Mule confirmed on Wednesday evening the club took the decisive action ahead of their crunch encounter against log leaders Tusker FC on Sunday after what officials believed was a deliberate attempt to sell the game to their title-chasing rivals.

Edwin Wafula, keeper Lucas Indeche, Yusuf Juma and Aswani- who has sunk 13 goals this season to share the lead in the race for the Golden Boot with Ulinzi Stars’ John Makwatta-have been given 14 days to appeal the decision to the Disciplinary Committee of the club.

“The action has been taken due to indiscipline cases as some have been inciting others not to attend training while others have been affected because of under-performance,” Mule declared.

The Chairman has however said that Leopards have enough players for head coach Stewart Hall to select for Sunday when Leopards square it out with Tusker in a fixture that could decide the destiny of the 2016 title.

“There are some things that we are still investigating and so it’s just prudent for us to take strict measures to ensure fair play come Sunday,” Mule maintained.

Club Secretary, Timothy Lirumbi was more forthright alleging the affected players were spotted with their Tusker peers with the team ordering them to keep away from Ingwe facilities including the training ground.

“We have removed the businessmen from the club. The remaining team can go on and beat Tusker, take my word. Indeche Lucas is a businessman, Aswani is the one who leads the training boycotts, Juma even sends messages to officials asking them what they are doing in the office if they cannot pay allowances.

“Those players were being bought. They same players were given money when we played Homeboyz in the GOtv Shield. As things stand today, we cannot win any game with those players in the line-up,” the official sensationally claimed.

-Laid down procedures-

Lirumbi explained they followed all laid down procedures from the KPL to terminate the contracts of the affected, adding they listed all the reasons behind their stunning move while insisting not all the affected were involved in selling games.

“The least we can expect in Nakuru is a draw after removing those players,” the Secretary General maintained.

This comes even after Tusker Captain James Situma held that Brewers will not depend on Leopards to help them win the League this season even if the fixture looks like a decider.

Gor Mahia will be hoping that Leopards beat the league leaders should they prevail over Muhoroni Youth on Saturday to set a winner-takes-all final day encounter next weekend.

New Ingwe boss Stewart Hall accused some Leopards’ players of lacking passion on the pitch as he promised to overhaul the squad in his bid to return the team to its glory days.