Nairobi, Kenya, February 23: A blazing row has erupted between Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the country’s top flight league governing body, Kenya Premier League (KPL) over the number of clubs that should play this season.
The row erupted after FKF wanted to expand the top flight league in 2015 season from current sixteen to eighteen teams but KPL with support from fourteen high profiled clubs refused the FA proposal.
KPL is reportedly suspicious with the FKF move to expand the league, which would facilitate the inclusion of the two extra teams.
One KPL official alleged that the FA had got money from unnamed broadcaster who is in competition with the league’s rights broadcaster holder, Super Sport, which they said would be in breach contract if allowed to go ahead.
The row erupted after FKF wanted to expand the top flight league in 2015 season from current sixteen to eighteen teams but KPL with support from fourteen high profiled clubs refused the FA proposal.
KPL is reportedly suspicious with the FKF move to expand the league, which would facilitate the inclusion of the two extra teams.
One KPL official alleged that the FA had got money from unnamed broadcaster who is in competition with the league’s rights broadcaster holder, Super Sport, which they said would be in breach contract if allowed to go ahead.
“The money is coming from someone who is in competition with our broadcast rights holder and we can never accept that due to contractual obligations we have,” Standard Digital quoted one KPL official as saying.
For the time being, government only move to resolve the crisis has been through, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports; Wario Hassan who called the two sides to resolve their differences on the negotiation table but that appears to have gone up into smoke.
The two warring parties failed to narrow their differences when they met during an indaba that was convened over the weekend after both of them stuck to their guns.
FKF Chief Sam Nyamweya suggestion to resolve through a vote was firmly rejected by KPL officials led by their chairperson, Ambrose Rachier the move on the grounds that it was not on the agreed terms and that the FA had more delegates at the indaba.
“They wanted us to vote, but that was not part of the agreement and more so the federation had invited all its branches to the meeting,” said Rachier.
Soccer analysts in the country have appealed to the two sides to resolve their differences amicably warning that failure to do so would attract negative repercussions for the country, including a ban from international tournaments by the world soccer governing body FIFA.
KPL chief acknowledged that he was aware that the row between his organisation and the country’s soccer governing body would attract sanctions from FIFA if not handled properly.
But he insisted that the FA has failed to give his side convincing reasons why it has come up with a proposal to expand the league.
“We’ve been running the 16 team league and we don’t know where this 18 league is coming from. They failed to give us valid reasons as to why they want an expanded league,” Rachier told local journalists.
Meanwhile, attempt by the FA to block their rivals, KPL from kicking off the 2015 season has failed through, despite getting a court injunction to stop them.
Kenya media reported Monday that a total of seven games went ahead even though the FA had obtained a court order.
For the time being, government only move to resolve the crisis has been through, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports; Wario Hassan who called the two sides to resolve their differences on the negotiation table but that appears to have gone up into smoke.
The two warring parties failed to narrow their differences when they met during an indaba that was convened over the weekend after both of them stuck to their guns.
FKF Chief Sam Nyamweya suggestion to resolve through a vote was firmly rejected by KPL officials led by their chairperson, Ambrose Rachier the move on the grounds that it was not on the agreed terms and that the FA had more delegates at the indaba.
“They wanted us to vote, but that was not part of the agreement and more so the federation had invited all its branches to the meeting,” said Rachier.
Soccer analysts in the country have appealed to the two sides to resolve their differences amicably warning that failure to do so would attract negative repercussions for the country, including a ban from international tournaments by the world soccer governing body FIFA.
KPL chief acknowledged that he was aware that the row between his organisation and the country’s soccer governing body would attract sanctions from FIFA if not handled properly.
But he insisted that the FA has failed to give his side convincing reasons why it has come up with a proposal to expand the league.
“We’ve been running the 16 team league and we don’t know where this 18 league is coming from. They failed to give us valid reasons as to why they want an expanded league,” Rachier told local journalists.
Meanwhile, attempt by the FA to block their rivals, KPL from kicking off the 2015 season has failed through, despite getting a court injunction to stop them.
Kenya media reported Monday that a total of seven games went ahead even though the FA had obtained a court order.
By: Joel Chirwa
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