On the edge

By Robin Toskin

The decision by the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Senior Management Committee to punish clubs for fielding players who ought to be have been suspended has thrown the country’s football league into mayhem.

Coming at a time when the top club competition is nearing its climax, the decision that affected nine clubs and ten players, has awoken the ghosts of boardroom interference in the running of the league. Club officials are now divided whether the ruling should apply retrospectively or from the day Gor Mahia won an appeal against Red Berets for fielding an ineligible player.

Following the Management Committee’s ruling, Sher Karuturi, Red Berets, Gor Mahia, World Hope, KCB lost between one and three points while front runners Mathare United, Ulinzi Stars, Bandari and Western Stima gained by having their points tally boosted.

Sher Karuturi’s Evans Majani was the most affected player after a five-match ban was slapped on him for lining up for two matches while carrying three yellow cards in each case.

Struggling Stima were the main beneficiaries after they were awarded five points pushing them closer to top-flight safety.

Gor Mahia, Mahakama, Tusker and Red Berets players in league action.

[PHOTO: ROBERT GICHERU and BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

Ulinzi Stars were added three points while two awarded in favour of table toppers Mathare United, and Bandari.

Gor Mahia, the club whose officials wrote to the KPL secretariat in September to point out discrepancies in the clubs and KPL cards reports, were docked a single point. World Hope (three), Sher Karuturi (two), KCB and Red Berets (a point) were also penalised.

Two match ban

Other affected players were: Francis Thairu (World Hope), Edward Munjalo (Red Berets), Mike Mururi (Chemelil), Humphrey Okot (Tusker), George Odari (KCB), Silas Chege (Mahakama), Abdul Wahab Musa (Bandari) and Kevin Ouma (Ulinzi) who received two-match bans.

The decisions were arrived at after an audit of the clubs Master Cards (where all cards received are filled) against the official match reports at KPL’s headquarters. All clubs were said to be in agreement with the ruling.

However, a Pandora’s Box was opened yesterday with Gor Mahia’s deputy secretary, Ronald Ngala, firing the first salvo at managing director, Jack Oguda, whom he accused of misleading the public.

"For instance, we did not agree on any auditing to be done. For anything that meeting authorised members to field players based on records of the Master Cards," Ngala said.

The Gor official charged that the decisions amounted to ‘a witch hunt’ against the club.

"It’s an unfair decision because you cannot apply the rules retrospectively. In any case, the clubs that benefited did not appeal and it appears KPL are protesting on behalf of those clubs," Mahakama’s secretary, Joseph Kuria said.

Sher Karuturi’s secretary, Symon Ngare, echoed Kuria’s remarks and said his club had lodged a protest with KPL.

However, Agro Chemicals backed the disciplinary measures. "Each club must carry it’s own cross," the team manager, Joseph Andere told FeverPitch.

A senior KPL official said that it was unfortunate that the issue had erupted as the season nears its end but rules must be respected until the last game.

The KPL standings released yesterday reflected the results of the contentious audit of yellow and red cards as recorded in the official match reports.

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