Mwendwa: FKF decision to axe Mathare United and Zoo FC will not be rescinded

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The federation boss now says they are done with the ‘rebel’ clubs and that they will not be replaced in the top-flight

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has now revealed the decision to remove ‘rebel’ clubs Mathare United and Zoo FC from the Premier League is final and a closed chapter.

Speaking to Goal on Monday, the FKF boss has further explained the federation will not replace the two teams, who were suspended after failing to endorse the broadcast deal involving FKF partners StarTimes, and that the league for the 2020-21 season will now have 16 teams.

“It is a closed chapter for Mathare United and Zoo,” Mwendwa told Goal on Monday. “We gave the two teams 48 hours to sign the deal and it elapsed last Friday with none of them endorsing the same, and the National Executive Committee (NEC) has passed to remove them from the league and that is final."

In this case, FKF suspended the two teams, and after the ban, they were removed from the fixtures, we now wait for the AGM congress to come and ratify the decision, but for now, the two clubs are removed, because the National Executive Committee (NEC) have powers to remove any club as they wait for the Special Congress to decide and that is what we have done, so we are waiting for the AGM in February.

“But for now the two clubs have already been removed and that is the end of the teams in the Kenyan top-flight, we will not rescind the decision, it is final and nothing will change.”

Mwendwa continued: “For now we have closed the chapter, we will have 16 teams, and they will not be replaced, and for the players, we have opened a 14-day transfer window so that they can secure other clubs to play for, the window opened on Friday at 5 pm and will run for the next 14 days.”

Asked what will happen if the clubs change their tough stand and endorse the deal now, Mwendwa said: “We gave the clubs a Friday deadline [of 48 hours] and it has already passed, what happens if the deadline has passed? We now have 16 teams and that is what we will have for the 2020-21 season.”

Mathare and Zoo had been given a 48-hour ultimatum to sign the deal but upon the period elapsing on Friday, FKF cited its constitution and an accompanying NEC decision that sealed the fate of the two sides.

Despite the decision being passed on Saturday, the two clubs are yet to communicate their next course of action.

2020-12-14 10:00:05

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