Kenyan game still has a long journey to travel

Tusker defender Dennis Nganga dribbles past Ezekiel Otuoma of Muhoroni Youth during their Tusker Premier League match at Safaricom Stadium Kasarani on October 19, 2014. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |

What you need to know:

  • Tusker had intended to make double substitutions but in a bizarre twist of events ended up with 12 players on the pitch, at a time they were already leading the visitors 2-1.
  • Finally, we must demand for clear, convincing answers from the incompetent match officials who mismanaged the Sunday game.

Not once have I argued that for the Kenyan Premier League to make a leap from its semi-professional status to a fully-fledged professional league, operations must be streamlined and structures set in place that will work independently and devoid of influence of the ‘big man’ or from whichever quarter.

Rightly so, because it baffles any right thinking soul, how the Kenyan Premier League secretariat, a body that prides itself be running the most competitive league in the region, could still be dogged by minor issues such as referees selection and the twelfth man on the pitch.

In its sitting early last week, KPL and the football administrations Joint Executive Committee (JEC) made one of the most bizarre resolutions, when it bestowed the task of selecting referees for matches on the Chief Executives of the respective organisations viz-a-viz Jack Oguda and his federation counterpart.

“The Football administration and KPL CEO’s shall be responsible for the referee’s appointment for the remaining three rounds of matches for the 2014 season following the suspension of the Referees Appointment Committee,” read resolution one of the meeting.

As peculiar as it may sound, and even before the ink could dry on the resolution, their act of appointing incompetent or careless match officials had by last  Sunday handed them another trouble to deal with after the Tusker versus Muhoroni Youth match was prematurely called off in the 74th minute.

BIZARRE EVENTS

Tusker had intended to make double substitutions but in a bizarre twist of events ended up with 12 players on the pitch, at a time they were already leading the visitors 2-1. Muhoroni chose not to continue play. Now such things only manifest in this part of the world!

KPL secretariat then went ahead to award Tusker the match before being overruled by the football administration opening up another potential storm that may take ages to settle.

This begs the question: Were the referees appointed by Oguda and his federation counterpart to officiate the Tusker versus Muhoroni game competent enough? If so, what made them let such a mistake pass? And why was selection of referees left to two individuals at teh expense of a professional independent body?

Coming from a week when the print and electronic media was awash with the circus that has become of the troubled Sony Sugar and AFC Leopards match, it was naturally expected of Oguda and his good colleague at the seat of the football managing body to exercise caution going into the final rounds of matches, where three horses; Gor Mahia, Sofapaka and Tusker are locked in a race for the coveted title.

At this rate, my crystal ball tells me that unless we change our modus operandi, make tough decisions and call for responsibility, our league risks becoming a laughing stock of the region, the continent and the work at large.

Finally, we must demand for clear, convincing answers from the incompetent match officials who mismanaged the Sunday game. Centre referee Andrew Juma, first assistant referee Peter Kiereini and fourth official Badr Yassin have a lot of explanations to do and must be put to task if we are to make a step towards achieving the status of well managed league.