NSL: Referees boycott Coast Derby
Coastal Heroes players sit at Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa after referees boycotted their National Super League match against SS Assad on May 1, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The match was scheduled to start at 1pm but the teams arrived at the pitch with no referee showing up
- The second match pitting hosts Mombasa Elites against visiting Shabana from Kisii at 3pm was also boycotted by referees on similar grounds
- Shabana organising secretary Steven Kiama lamented that the team had incurred huge costs to honour the fixture, only to be let down by the committee
National Super League referees have boycotted the much anticipated Coast Derby between hosts Coastal Heroes and SS Assad that was planned for Sunday at Mbaraki Sports Club.
The match was scheduled to start at 1pm but the teams arrived at the pitch with no referee showing up.
The second match pitting hosts Mombasa Elites against visiting Shabana from Kisii at 3pm was also boycotted by referees on similar grounds.
The referees refused to take to the pitch citing unpaid dues since January 15. Nation Sport has learned that the referees have not been paid since Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Caretaker Committee took over the running of football matters in the country.
With the FKF Caretaker Committee's mandate set to expire on May 11, referees have chosen to boycott matches to pile pressure on them to pay their dues before they leave office.
Shabana organising secretary Steven Kiama lamented that the team had incurred huge costs to honour the fixture, only to be let down by the committee.
"We don't want to blame the referees because it's their legal right to be paid for the services rendered,'' he said.
On behalf of the referees, match commissioner Steven Nyaga called on Ministry of Sports to intervene and hear the cry of the whistle blowers.
"We have too many problems, we need to be motivated. We have used our own money to oversee games but as of now, we are totally broke," said Nyaga.
Coastal Heroes Team manager Kenneth Juma has decried that aside from the referees not being paid, they have not received grants from the government totaling to Sh499,000.
"Out of 20 teams in the NSL we are the only ones that have not been paid. We have done follow-up with the Ministry but to no success," he said.
Mombasa Elites FC team manager Ferdinand Ogot said that the government needs to assure teams that the referees will be available in the next match to avoid incurring costs yet referees have downed their tools.
SS Assad head coach Ali Marumu refused to comment on the referees issues but said that he was disappointed with the situation terming it a big let down to fans who had come all the way from Kwale County.
