Wrangling FKF election parties must consider players' interests - Otieno

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The retired Kenya captain has asked the concerned people to sit down and find a quick solution in order to avoid a looming Fifa ban

Former Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno has urged wrangling parties in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections to consider the interests of the players and put their own aside.

A Fifa ban is looming large for Kenya following a protracted election battle with the current FKF office holders and aspirants standing firm in their demands on how the election process should be carried out.

On March 17, the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) annulled the election process for the second time and asked Fifa to form a normalisation committee to take charge of the electoral process.

But Fifa responded by reinstating the current FKF Executive Committee and its president Nick Mwendwa, and quashed the SDT's judgement and proposals.

The back and forth fights by the interested parties, according to Otieno, may lead to a Fifa ban which will, in turn, will affect players negatively.

“I always advocate for the players and this case if we are banned, it is the player who will suffer. It is unfortunate some people are only looking to their own interests and not the player and so it is easy for them not to care if we are banned,” Otieno told Goal.

“We cannot say 'let us be banned so we put our house in order and come back'. It has happened before but nothing has changed. As a stakeholder, I want to say that we need to sit down and resolve whatever issues have brought us here.

“Some of those advocating for a ban, have another source of income but for the player’s football is their only livelihood and it must be protected.”

Former Harambee Stars and AFC Leopards forward Boniface Ambani also added his voice on the issue.

“We have about 1,000 players across all our leagues and they risk losing their employment status should we be banned by Fifa," explained Ambani in an interview with Goal.

“At the moment some may be advocating for such an action but when it comes, it is the whole of football that will suffer but more so the players.”

Former Gor Mahia goalkeeper and captain Jerim Onyango stated Kenya will only be safe if they adhere to the orders given by the world governing body.

“We need to adhere to Fifa’s directive or we will be banned and this will hinder our growth," Onyango told Goal too.

“Most of the players I work with have chosen football as a career. If we are banned, they will have nowhere else to go and to do. It is football that will suffer in general.”

Peter Dawo, Fred Serenge, Morris Sunguti, Antony Kimani, Benard Mwalala, Jeff Oyando, Nick Yakhama, Francis Onyiso, John Baraza, Hillary Echesa, Julius Owino, Zedekiah Otieno, and Tom Juma are among former Kenya internationals who have also spoken about the FKF election debacle.

2020-03-28 18:00:03

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