Three WPL clubs vow not to play in unsanctioned league
Vihiga Queens celebrate with the Kenya Women's Premier League trophy on June 12, 2022 at Mumboha Stadium.
What you need to know:
- Githua, who doubles up as Gaspo Team Manager, called on FKF to be accountable for funds given to it from Fifa and thanked the Transition Committee for facilitating clubs last season.
- “While everyone wants the suspension lifted, many are not focusing on where the funds from Fifa go. It is not a secret that we were supported more financially by the caretaker committee than when FKF was in charge of football. Even the award token from the federation was not appealing at all,” said Githua.
Three Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Women's Premier League (WPL) clubs have said they will not feature in the 2022/23 season if it will not be sanctioned by World football governing body, Fifa.
Vihiga Queens CEO Mike Senalwa, his Thika Queens counterpart Fred Chege and Gatundu Sport Women Football club (Gaspo) chairman Edward Githua insist that they will not feature in a league unless the Fifa suspension is lifted.
Senelwa told Nation Sport that it was painful that they lost a chance to feature in the Cecafa Regional CAF Women Championship Qualifiers where they were the defending champions.
The three time WPL champions represented the Cecafa region in the inaugural CAF Women's Champion League staged in Egypt in 2021.
Kenya's suspension by Fifa in February hit Vihiga Queens badly as they couldn’t participate in this year’s edition.
“Even if our football has more problems, the Fifa issue should be resolved. Why should we spend our resources and play in a league which will take us nowhere? WPL teams have no sponsors and so it is pointless to spend money yet you get no returns,” said Senelwa.
The new WPL season was to start this weekend.
Chege said they are ready to work with any individual at the helm of the federation as they call for sobriety in the management of the game.
He also proposed that the league should be reverted back to the zonal format as the unified format was taking a financial toll on teams.
“The Fifa ban should be lifted because even the Caf and Cecafa competitions had given women football some publicity. However, as women's football, we need a lot of sponsorship so that our football can also grow and avoid walkovers,” said Chega.
Githua, who doubles up as Gaspo Team Manager, called on FKF to be accountable for funds given to it from Fifa and thanked the Transition Committee for facilitating clubs last season.
“While everyone wants the suspension lifted, many are not focusing on where the funds from Fifa go. It is not a secret that we were supported more financially by the caretaker committee than when FKF was in charge of football. Even the award token from the federation was not appealing at all,” said Githua.
