How Gor Mahia blew up CAF Champions League chance

Reigning Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Gor Mahia will pay dearly for breaching payment agreements with three of its former players.

The 20-time Kenyan champions have been locked out of Africa’s premier club competition, the CAF Champions League, for failing to honour payment agreements it made with a Congolese forward, Malian goalkeeper, and Burundian attacker over monies owed the players from two years ago. Gor finally made the payment 19 hours past the deadline. 

African football governing body CAF Sunday omitted Gor from the draw of this year’s tournament,  which will be conducted on Tuesday in Cairo.

It is a major blow to the wild celebrations by Gor’s fans on June 25 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani when the team won the 2022/23 FKF Premier League title, reclaiming the title after two seasons.

Apart from claiming the bragging rights in the local football scene for winning an unprecedented 20th league title, Gor had also booked a ticket to the prestigious 2023/24 CAF Champions League whose winner takes home a cool Sh568 million.

Little did Gor fans know that their joy would be short-lived. On Sunday, Gor was missing from CAF’s list of 54 teams that will compete in CAF Champions League draw. 

Kenya will not be represented in the competition, thanks to the payment dispute between the club and Congolese forward Sando Sando Yangay, Malian goalkeeper Adama Keita and Burundian attacker Jules Ulimwengu.

The 1987 Africa Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup) champions owed Sando Sh2.27 million, Keita Sh4.3 million and Ulimwengu Sh1.1 million.

Article 60 of the CAF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations states that any club applying for a license to play in CAF tournaments must prove that it does not owe any of its current and former employees money at the commencement of licensing period.

In case a club has an overdue payment, the article states that it shall have “a grace period of two months to prove that by May 31 of the following year, such overdue payables have been fully settled or deferred by mutual agreement with the creditor.”

Gor had been issued with a license to compete in 2023/24 CAF Champions League on June 15 but on July 18, CAF, through FKF’s Club Licensing Manager (CLM), notified the local federation of a complaint raised by Sando over money Gor owes him.

The Club Licensing Manager is appointed by the federation, and is mandated to take clubs through the licensing procedure.

The local federation said that it was during an investigation last Wednesday that FKF Club Licensing First Instance Body (FIB), the local independent decision-making body which decides whether a licence shall be granted or denied to an applicant club on the basis of the submitted documentation, established that Gor also owed Keita and Ulimwengu money.

In a virtual meeting convened last Thursday that brought together FIB, CLM and Gor’s officials led by the chairman Ambrose Rachier, the club promised to “provide proof of settling the arrears it owed Sando, and to explore settling the full amount or enter into a variation of the earlier agreement with Keita.”

At the meeting, Gor also promised to settle the money it owed Ulimwengu by midday on Friday.

Gor’s management cleared the arrears owed to the players by Friday morning, which was way beyond the July 20 deadline set by the FKF Club Licensing First Instance Body (FIB).

“The members unanimously found that Gor was therefore in breach of Article 60 of the CAF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations despite sufficient time having been given to the Club to remedy the breach,” the FIB said in a statement on Friday.

“It was further noted that the Chairperson of FIB and the FKF’s Club Licensing Manager did liaise with the Club in efforts to ensure compliance, but the Club was still not compliant. Consequently, the committee revoked Gor Mahia FC’s License pursuant to Article 16 (8) b of the CAF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations.”

Gor Secretary General Sam Ochola castigated FKF’s FIB for revoking the club’s licence, saying the payment of the arrears was enough gesture that they had complied with Fifa’s and Caf’s requirements. Later on Friday, Gor unsuccessfully appealed the decision.

Gor’s fans and former players reacted furiously after learning that the team has been locked out of 2023/24 Caf Champions League draw. They blamed the club’s management for the setback.

So how did Gor Mahia find itself in the current situation? Keita had terminated his contract with Gor in July last year  citing breach of contract by the club through salary arrears.

He reported the club to Fifa Disputes Resolution chamber, which ruled in his favour last November. Gor agreed on a payment plan with the player but defaulted, forcing him to report the club again to Fifa.

On July 18 this year, FKF’s FIB was notified by CAF through FKF’s Club Licensing Manager of a complaint by Sando over monies owed to him by Gor. 

FKF’s FIB launched investigations on Sando’s complaint, and established that Malian goalkeeper Keita and Burundian forward Ulimwengu are also owed money by Gor.

A virtual meeting took place attended by FIB, CLM, and Gor’s officials led by chairman Rachier. Gor is given a 4pm deadline to settle the arrears, but does so after the deadline. Gor’s license is revoked.