Juma: Rising match abandonments expose a deepening crisis in Kenyan football

What were once treated as isolated disruptions are now recurring incidents, pointing to deeper problems in match-day management, security, and governance. Increasingly, crucial results are being decided not on the pitch, but in committee rooms. The latest example involves a National Super League (NSL) fixture between Mombasa United FC and Gucha Stars FC that failed to kick off on December 20, 2025.

Following a hearing held on January 21, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Leagues and Competitions Committee awarded Mombasa United a victory on a three-point, two-goal basis under Rule 21.1 governing forfeits and abandoned matches.

While the decision followed established procedures, it once again shifted the outcome of a competitive fixture away from football action and into administrative deliberation. Under FIFA’s Laws of the Game and competition regulations, referees have the authority to abandon a match if player safety, crowd control, or match conditions cannot be guaranteed.

FIFA guidelines are clear that when a match is abandoned due to the fault of a team, its officials, or supporters, the responsible side may forfeit the match, typically resulting in a loss and possible additional sanctions. National associations, such as FKF, are empowered to apply these principles through their own competition rules.

However, FIFA also emphasizes prevention, proper security arrangements, and orderly match-day organization as essential responsibilities of clubs and host venues. The Mombasa United–Gucha Stars case fits into a worrying pattern across Kenyan football. In December 2025, a Kenyan Premier League fixture between Nairobi United and Gor Mahia was abandoned at Dandora Stadium after crowd unrest rendered the environment unsafe.

Earlier, in June 2025, an NSL clash between Kibera Black Stars and APS Bomet was called off after an assistant referee was attacked following a disputed goal. APS Bomet were later awarded a 2–0 victory, a decision that proved decisive in the promotion race. Lower divisions have not been spared. In November 2024, a Division One match between Young Bulls and Kibra United was abandoned after players walked off the pitch in protest.

In August 2023, a crucial promotion playoff between Zoo FC and Nairobi United was also abandoned due to crowd trouble, further underlining the persistence of the problem across multiple levels of the game. For football fans, ni sisi tunaumia — we are the ones who suffer most. Supporters spend their hard-earned money on transport and tickets with the expectation of watching football, only to leave stadiums frustrated, disappointed, and confused.

Players, too, bear the consequences, losing match bonuses, competitive rhythm, and morale for reasons often beyond their control. Most damaging of all, league standings and season outcomes are increasingly shaped by disciplinary rulings rather than performances on the field. To arrest this trend, FKF must move decisively from reaction to prevention. Mandatory pre-season workshops on match-day regulations, security standards, and reporting procedures—particularly in lower leagues—are essential.

The certification of club administrators, stricter match-day compliance audits, and the consistent application of sanctions would go a long way toward restoring order and accountability. Without urgent and sustained reforms, abandoned matches risk becoming normalized in Kenyan football. That would deny supporters the very essence of the game they love: football decided where it belongs—on the pitch.