Venue hitch,financial woes dog Ingwe ahead of Caf duty

AFC Leopards face a nervous wait from the Confederation of African Football to know whether the continental soccer body will clear the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega to host their first leg preliminary match against Malagasy side FOSA Juniors.

The two sides collide in the first installment of the two-leg clash on February 10 but Leopards have not been given the green light to use the facility.

Initially, Ingwe had said that they’ll use the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos for their continental matches only to make a swift U-turn and bid for Bukhungu.

Subsequently, Caf inspectors visited the venue last week for inspection but the continental soccer body is yet to make their final report.

The inspection should have been carried out last December but it delayed owing to lack of finances from the club.The team will now have to wait for Caf to relay its findings in writing before the club can use the facility for the continetal match.

At the same time, the league giants are in financial turmoil even as it plans to host the Madagascar opponents.

According to club chairman Dan Mule, the club has initiated talks with the government through Football Kenya Federation to help bridge the deficit.

Ingwe, like a majority of KPL clubs, is operating on a shoe-string budget following the withdrawal of the league title sponsors.

“We are still engaging the Government to come in and help especially the return leg when we travel to Madagascar,” Mule said.

The big cats have been bedeviled by financial woes which reared its ugly head in the run-up to last Sunday’s Super Cup clash with Gor Mahia, with the playing unit staging go-slows to demand their bonuses.

Gor won the tie 1-0 to claim the trophy but an unimpressed head-coach Robert ‘The Lion’ Matano read the riot act to his charges warning that their work is to play football but not worry about the finances.

Gor, who like Leopards will be competing in the Caf competitions, will, on the other hand, host its matches at the Kenyatta Stadium.

Additional reporting by Geoffrey Mwamburi