KEFOFA, Mbarak urge Sports C.S Amina to streamline Kenyan football

KEFOFA chairman Francis Liboyi (left) and Chief Executive Shem Okottah address football fans at a past function.[Photo/ Courtesy]

Kenya Football Fans Federation (KEFOFA) has urged Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed to streamline the management of football in the country.

KEFOFA chairman Francis Liboyi and Chief Executive Shem Okottah have noted that questionable decisions by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) led to the recent poor performance by national team Harambee Stars in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Harambee Stars have failed to win in any of their opening four engagements against Uganda, Rwanda and Mali, while receiving a 5-0 spanking against Mali in Morocco.

These results have left Stars with no chance of competing in next year's World Cup slated for Qatar, with Amina also ordering an audit exercise of FKF books and accounts.

"We have quality players in the national team but they do not look motivated to perform, and the noises coming from legends like Mariga (McDonald) suggest that all is not well," Okottah told Standard Sports on Monday.

"That is why we will support the audit as we believe it is the right step towards enabling our players to deliver," he added.

Okottah also urged the CS to negotiate with Fifa and Caf to suspend a possible ban on Kenya hosting her home matches at both Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums.

Caf recently announced that the two football arenas lack basic requirements to stage international matches.

As a result, there is a likelihood that the forthcoming Caf Confederation Cup play-offs involving Tusker against Tunisia's CS Sfaxien, plus Go R  Mahia's duel with ES Sportif will be held away from home.

"The Ministry of Sports has done an exemplary job in hosting the World Rally Championship (WRC), World U-20 Championships and the Kip Keino Classic," said Okottah.

"We appeal to the government and Caf to talk to Fifa and Caf with a view of settling the impasse as our fans have been out of the stadiums for a long time owing to the Covid-19 related protocols."

The inspection team mandated to carry out the audit by the Sports Registrar on behalf of Amina is expected to submit its report on Tuesday.

KEFOFA sentiments have been echoed by former Kenya Football Federation (KFF) Vice President Twaha Mbarak.

"Amina and Principal Secretary Joe Okudo

deserve credit and support of all Kenyans for their efforts to clean up FKF and indeed the entire sports sector.

"As football stakeholders, we reiterate our full support for the Sports Ministry officials, re-affirming our confidence in the inspection process being undertaken by Sports Registrar Rose Wasike," Mbarak said.

"We hope that the inspection team will complete its work within the timelines stipulated by the CS in her directive so that those found culpable for the plunder at Kandanda House are brought to justice as the first step to rescuing our football," Mbarak added.