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FKF-PL clubs: We won't honour league fixtures
Nairobi City Stars CEO Patrick Korir (left-seated) speaks during the press conference in Nairobi on September 21, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Initially, the 2022/23 FKF-PL was supposed to kick-off on September 10, but the Transition Committee, whose term ends on October 15 this year, deferred it by another two weeks before again pushing it to Saturday.
- The fate of the new season was thrown into more confusion after embattled FKF president Nick Mwendwa, who last week reinstated himself, announced that it will start in late October.
Despite the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Transition Committee Monday releasing new dates for the 2022/23 season expected to start Saturday, clubs have remained adamant that they will not compete in it.
Gor Mahia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Raymond Oruo, who is the chairman of the Kenya Premier League (KPL) caucus that last week announced that all the 18 top flight clubs will not compete in a league that is not sanctioned by Fifa, said their position on the matter still stands.
“We have not changed our mind and as the chairman of the caucus (KPL), I can tell you that we are not playing (in the FKF Transition Committee run league,” Oruo told Nation Sport.
Kenya Police’s CEO Chris Onguso and Nzoia Sugar chairman Evans Kadenge echoed Oruo's statement.
“Nothing has changed and if it does, we will let you know,” said Onguso.
Kadenge said: “All the 18 clubs met and said they will not take part in a league run by the FKF Transition Committee. Nzoia Sugar will not honour their fixture against Bidco United.”
Initially, the 2022/23 FKF-PL was supposed to kick-off on September 10, but the Transition Committee, whose term ends on October 15 this year, deferred it by another two weeks before again pushing it to Saturday.
The fate of the new season was thrown into more confusion after embattled FKF president Nick Mwendwa, who last week reinstated himself, announced that it will start in late October.
Caesar Handa, a member of the Transition Committee, explained that they were forced to postpone the commencement of the league to Saturday following requests by many top flight clubs.
“The new KPL season was scheduled to start on September 24. Unfortunately, we have had to push it forward because many players turning out for most KPL teams are engaged in the ongoing Kecoso games so there was a request by the team to have the start of the league postponed to October 1,” Handa said ast week on new NTV’s sports show - Spot On.
According to the Transition Committee’s fixtures, nine matches will be played in the first weekend of the competition.
Champions Tusker will welcome Posta Rangers at Ruaraka grounds in Nairobi, while record winners Gor Mahia will host four-time champions Ulinzi Stars at Nyayo National Stadium.
Newbies Fortune Sacco and APS Bomet will face FC Talanta and APS Bomet respectively.
During their last week’s press conference in Nairobi Hotel, the KPL caucus said they reached the decision not to compete in non-sanctioned Fifa leagues since it is a “waste of time and resources”.
Kenya is suspended by Fifa following CS Amina Mohamed’s November 11, 2021 decision to disband FKF and appoint a Caretaker Committee to run football activities in the country.
The Caretaker Committee was replaced by the Transition Committee on May 13.
Following the suspension, Tusker have not been included in the 2022/23 Confederation of African Football (Caf) competitions.
No Kenyan team can take part in Caf competitions until the suspension is lifted.
