Just concluded FKF-PL season shrouded in controversy
Tusker players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Football Kenya Federation Premier League on June 12, 2022 at Ruaraka grounds.
What you need to know:
- We have to investigate allegations that some clubs, players and referees were involved in match bring them to book.
- The future of our game is at stake if we do not streamline these issues.
The Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) season is over and Tusker are champions, congratulations for winning their 13 title.
At least now we know the second most successful club in the country is not our noisy neighbors AFC Leopards.
As my colleague Charles Nyende aptly put it, Tusker are at 13 title and AFC Leopards 12. My beloved Gor Mahia remains by far the most successful club in Kenya with 19 titles.
I think that now puts the issue to rest.
But today I want to address the issue on credibility of our league especially the FKF-PL.
Granted, our football is in the doldrums thank to the inept leadership we have had over the past few years and now the confusion created persisting under the so called Transition Committee.
While I commend the Caretaker Committee and later the Transition Committee for running the league to it's end, there are so many questions abound as to if Tusker indeed were deserving champions.
I do not understand how in this time and age, clubs in a top flight league still dish out walk overs. I have in mind Talanta FC, who at some point took their home match against Gor Mahia to Kakamega, only for them to claim they do not have the money to play their game against Kakamega Homeboyz in Nairobi.
I also do not understand how Ulinzi Stars, a club fully funded by the Kenya Defence Forces, could not present an ambulance during their match against AFC Leopards.
And there are many instances I can raise that bring the top flight league into disrepute.
We are now hearing cases about match fixing, something the managers of the game and the government must look into.
Several players, some of whom are still active, have been adversely mentioned to have been involved in fixing matches.
Match fixing is a crime and it erodes the credibility of the competition and by extension kills any interest fans and sponsors would want in the league.
And so now that the league is over, all stakeholders need to sit down and take stock of the entire season and prepare well for the coming season.
We have to investigate allegations that some clubs, players and referees were involved in match bring them to book.
The future of our game is at stake if we do not streamline these issues.
