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With the domestic football season winding down in Kenya, cut-throat competition for honors opened a Pandora's Box that led to two matches aborting last weekend in Nairobi.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has promised stern action against the culpable parties that led the Kenyan Premier League ( KPL) clash between title-chasing Tusker FC and Muhoroni Youth on Saturday night as well as the violent abandonment of the GOtv Shield (domestic Cup) semi final between holders AFC Leopards and Sofapaka less than 24 hours later.
League champions will represent the country at next season's CAF Champions League whilst cup holders will progress to the second-tier continental competition, CAF Confederations Cup.
On Sunday, Nairobi's City Stadium that is within sights of the capital's central business district witnessed an orgy of violence that saw police forced to fire live ammunition to disperse the rioting AFC fans who went on rampage after going 2-0 down to Sofapaka four minutes from regulation time in the most severe of the incidents.
The Tusker and Muhoroni league clash aborted after the latter complained the former were fielding 12 players after a bungled substitution with 13 minutes to go.
In the first case, Centre referee Davis Omweno and his assistant Stephen Oduor who required three stitches for a deep cut in his head were injured whilst buses belonging to broadcast right holders SuperSport, Sofapaka and even Leopards' coach were stoned.
The rioting supporters did not spare a car belonging to their own right-back and former Kenya international, James Situma, who' s foul on an opponent occasioned the free-kick from which Sofapaka pressed their advantage to leave their hold on the trophy hanging by a thin thread.
"The club is culpable they cannot be allowed to go scot-free. We are going to sit and take serious action. It's a serious matter and no stone shall be left unturned, take it from me," FKF president, Sam Nyamweya declared Tuesday.
Among the stiff sanctioned being considered are banning the club from next season's GOtv Shield, heavy financial penalties as well as meeting the costs of all injuries and damages incurred on property.
He laid some of the fault on the Kenya Police Service for refusing to provide adequate security for the highly charged match in such a small stadium where crowds can easily run out of control.
"We asked them for 100 officers but they only sent 40 and that was below our expectation. We don't handle security and it is their work to apprehend the hooligans and we will write to the Inspector of General to launch our complaints over the matter," Nyamweya, who's FKF are the organisers of the GOtv Shield Cup tournament, maintained.
He however, failed to explain why the game was not moved to a larger facility within the city for better crowd control.
"We cannot have live bullets and tear gas used on fans since most are innocent supporters of football and we need to sit down with security apparatus to come up with a way to manage stadium violence without endangering lives," he added.
Second tier side, Posta Rangers, await the outcome of FKF's verdict to know who they will face in the final.
Although defending champions, Gor Mahia are enjoying a four- point gap at the top of the KPL standings with three games to go, Tusker could have cut the gap the deficit to six in third place but yet again, a boardroom decision will be called upon to settle the match.
"We have never heard of 12 players on the pitch in football and this is another serious matter that needs to be addressed. Everything that can be done by the federation will be done to ensure whoever is responsible for the abandonment is punished heavily," Nyamweya declared whilst KPL CEO, Jack Oguda, called the Fourth Official's error "Schoolboy."
The federation boss explained the climax to the league had increased anxiety amongst the teams fighting for the championships or starving off relegation.
"Clubs are panicking because there is a lot at stake, the champions, those who want to finish in the Top 8 and those who want to avoid relegation and that is why these things are happening," he elaborated. Enditem
