Troubled Shabana to honour Police NSL clash

The National Super League (NSL) continues this weekend with only a game on the card where troubled giants Shabana FC face Police FC hunting for a first win of the season.

Club officials confirmed Friday the team that has already been docked three points for awarding a walkover will play on Sunday with the fate of their aborted midweek clash against Palos FC uncertain.

Barry Otieno, Federation of Kenya Football (FKF) Communications and Public Relations Officer affirmed that they had not received the Match Commissioner’s report from the game to decide whether to declare the fixture a walkover in favour of the Kisumu based side.

Shabana Secretary General Omwando, who spoke to Citizen Digital, said that they had written to FKF requesting for the rescheduling of the game on basis that they have had a congested fixtures programme.

“We have not had any communication from Shabana relating to Palos match postponement, we only received a letter regarding the request for adjournment for the Oserian game that was done a few hours before play,” the official said.

That was the match awarded to Oserian on a 2-0 score when FKF deemed the excuse fronted did not justify the match being postponed to leave Shabana rock bottom after seven games to their belated season.

Should the Palos game go against them, it means the club that is struggling financially will be automatically relegated from the second-tier they gained admission after appealing their initial expulsion at the Sports Disputes Tribunal that ruled in favour of Shabana’s reinstatement.

“We will be ready and fit for the weekend game against Palos FC, the fixture has been tight but we shall try as much as possible to do our best,” Omwando said.

Vihiga All Stars and Eastleigh Youth FC were axed from the FKF National Division Two by FKF last month after missing to honour three successive games.

They had written to FKF to reschedule the Oserian game on grounds that their Team Manager had lost his mum but the governing body found the reason insufficient to abandon a game.

The Gusii based giants have had a tough season after FKF threw them out of the second-tier for awarding three successive walkovers but the Sports Disputes Tribunal ruled in their favor thereafter.

Last week, the team officials told of difficulty in meeting operational costs to honor their marathon start to their belated campaign that has seen them field twice in a week to catch-up as they lack a sponsor.

Shabana still lie at the bottom of the NSL table without a point from seven encounters.

 Report by Edward Mokuah