Rachier accepts FKFs verdict to nominate Tusker for CECAFA

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has withdrawn his quest for his team’s participation in this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup that kicks off in Dar es Salaam next Month.

Rachier had on July 22 written a letter insisting that Gor were Kenya’s the bona fide representatives in the regional tournament being the reigning Premier League champions, but FKF President Nick Mwendwa said Tusker who will play in the CAF Champions League next season were handed the ticket.

Mwendwa explained in his response that the tournament in which Gor was to represent Kenya in was postponed last season due to Covid-19 pandemic, and that this is a new tournament altogether.

Rachier now says after explanation by FKF, he has bowed to pressure and will respect the Federation’s verdict saying they were banking on the earlier announcement in May by the Federation that Gor would be Kenya’s representatives.

‘’The letter was basically to seek the attention of the Federation who had earlier on said Gor would be Kenya’s representatives.  Since they have settled on Tusker, we have no issue since it is within their mandate to forward names of Kenya’s representatives for any external tournaments,’’ explained Rachier.

Mwendwa explained in his response that the tournament in which Gor was to represent Kenya was postponed last season due to Covid-19 pandemic and that this is a new tournament altogether.

He stated that the federation nominated Tusker who were on top of the league as of the time the regional body needed the lists of teams from participating countries.

‘’We are now playing a new Kagame Cup since the previous one was cancelled due to the pandemic. So the time Gor was to represent Kenya has been overtaken by events, and instead, Tusker will go for the competition. CECAFA wanted a name and we settled on Tusker since they are on top,’’ explained Nick Mwendwa in his response to Gor.

Gor has in the recent years dominated Kenya’s representation in the regional tournament and Tusker, now, makes a comeback after many years in the cold.

‘’It was not a big issue as such. We just wanted to know the position of the federation on this but I want to say we have accepted their decision.”

The tournament kicks off August 1 in Dar-es Salaam to 15, where apart from Gor, other regional heavyweights Simba SC have opted out of the competition with the hosts now being represented by Yanga and Azam who completed the 2021/2021 season in second and third spots respectively.

Uganda will be represented by Express FC and the current champions Kampala Capital City Authority.

Ugandá’s KCCA are the reigning champions who sunk Tanzania’s Azam in Rwanda.