Year In Review: Kenya invited FIFA ban, endured it and the ugly effects remain

Year In Review: Kenya invited FIFA ban, endured it and the ugly effects remain

By the turn of the year 2021, what was a very cold relationship between the Ministry of Sports and Football Kenya Federation had culminated in the disbandment of the federation by then CS Amina Mohammed.

There were mixed reactions with critics of the Nick Mwendwa regime, feeling it was a right move as a way of correcting the many ills that have bedeviled Kenyan football for a long time.

Others who could read between the lines were warning that the move would cause Kenya trouble, which came to pass in February 2022 when the world football governing body FIFA suspended Kenya from international football.

FIFA said the disbandment of FKF amounted to third party interference with the running of the game, against the federation’s regulations.

It was the FKF president Nick Mwendwa who was in the spotlight as he was twice arrested after the disbandment, with the rest of the National Executive Committee going untouched. So FIFA was not comfortable with the proceedings in the local game, and after the suspension, the effects on the football landscape across the stakeholders started being felt.

The first casualties were Women national team Harambee Starlets who were set for the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifier match against Uganda’s Crested Cranes, a game that was never to be. Starlets, despite pitching camp under coach Alex Alumira, were forced to break it soon after realising there was no room for playing the continentals with Kenya suspended.

Their male counterparts Harambee Stars were not spared too, as they were omitted from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while training of coaches was also stopped. 

 

The Kenyan Premier League was also played under the Caretaker Committee’s which were appointed by CS Amina, but the eventual winner Tusker FC could not be allowed to compete in the CAF Champions League.

 

The conundrum has lingered on, even after the suspension was lifted in November 2020, with relegation and promotion of clubs based on the league that was run by the Caretaker Committee being contested by the FKF.

 

Bandari FC Technical Director and former Harambee Stars coach Twahir Muhiddin feels the effects of the suspension will be felt for a long time.

 

“For a player to be signed by a professional club nowadays you need to provide your national team caps which many could have got during the suspension period. A whole generation has been affected, and it is not something you can quickly fix. There needs to be concerted efforts by stakeholders of goodwill to revive the game, but importantly Kenyans must learn from this experience,” he assessed.

 

Until its lifting, the suspension also denied exposure grounds for Kenyan footballers who could not compete in the inter club competitions.

 

Vihiga Queens, who took part in the debut Women Champions league last year, missed out on this year's edition due to the FIFA suspension.

 

“The suspension locked doors for many women footballers who would have leapt into big stages through the continental championship. The first edition which Vihiga Queens competed in gave wings to several players, and it was only going to get better had we sent a team in the second one. This is just one element of it, local women’s football which has been growing exponentially suffered a major blow courtesy of the suspension. I think there was a way to avoid it...,” said Simba Queens striker Gentrix Shikangwa who has previously played for Vihiga Queens.

Same as players, referees also felt the pinch as they could not officiate any FIFA related matches or competitions.

Top elite referees in the country Waweru Kamaku and Mary Njiroge were among the officials who lost opportunities to officiate, including in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“I have counted four international competitions and just watched them on television, which I could have as well officiated and open more doors to fellow referees,” said Njoroge during a Physical Endurance Test in November.

On his side Kamaku, a professor of Mathematics and a lecturer at JKUAT, said that the dream of a Kenyan referee officiating in the World Cup is still alive despite the suspension setback.

“We lost opportunities, but we still have more to come. There is a reason for everything, and the best we can do is to put everything we can to lift our football to where we deserve to be. Importantly, we should learn from what has happened,” he said.

Kamaku has already been invited by CAF to officiate in the CHAN 2023 in Algeria earlier next year, after the lifting of the suspension while Njoroge will be heading to New Zealand for Women World Cup play-offs.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba was in haste to have Kenya back in international football, fulfilling the requirements that FIFA had set for readmission soon after taking over from Amina.

 

Namwamba, speaking soon after FIFA’s move to lift the suspension, expressed his regrets over the missed opportunities.

“If it was not the suspension which has now been lifted, one of our own would have been in Doha (Qatar during the World Cup)…but we should not repeat the same mistake.”

A statement by FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said a delegation comprising FIFA and CAF officials would be sent to the country to advise on the next steps.

Meanwhile, in the backdrop of the wrangles, the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has this month ruled that the FKF NEC is illegally in office, a determination which could potentially plunge Kenya’s football to another major conflict.

Namwamba has already expressed concerns about the ruling, suggesting that the Ministry lawyers would react to it while remaining faithful “to the rule of law.”

The football stakeholders are now hoping for better plans to revive football in the country with plans underway to bid for a joint hosting of AFCON 2027, pegged in the 2030 World Cup dream.

A keen eye is also being cast on the Bottom Up U-19 tournament, especially on how it will be rolled out, after it was announced by President William Ruto during the Jamhuri Day celebrations.

Tags:

Kenya FIFA CAF Amina Mohammed FKF Nick Mwendwa Ababu Namwamba SDT

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