Court, tribunal, wrangles; let the games begin again

What you need to know:

  • The Kenyan Premier League season has kicked off.
  • Of course we are used to the chocking start it usually has.
  • Towards the end of the season, wars between the KPL and FKF must take place.

The Kenyan Premier League season has kicked off. Of course we are used to the chocking start it usually has. Towards the end of the season, wars between the KPL and FKF must take place.

Both sides rush to court and the Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT), while pointing fingers at each other. The quarrel began last season over the number of teams in the top tier league and finally ended with the Caf licensing rules which was going to bar Muhoroni Youth and Sofapaka from taking part in the league.

The usual battles are not yet over, and come the end of the season, they shall start off again, over some other trivialities. The Kenyan teams that were representing us in the Caf championships have already been bundled out like they do every year.

Of course they come straight from recess and play against teams that are at the peak of their logical season. That too happens every year and we must sympathise with them on that score.

This being the odd year, we had the African Cup of Nations held in January. African players in European league had to leave their teams in limbo to come and take part in the championship.

This fact has always let Africa down so many times but the Gods of football who rule the game in Africa refused to change. Sometime back, the tournament used to take place in an even year, coinciding with the World Cup.

The danger was that African players abroad would begin their season at the end of August, play through to January, leave their clubs and travel back to Africa to take part in the competition. Fly back after the month to their club, play on until April and then join their countries to play in the World Cup.

It required a lot of lobbying and pleading for Caf to see sense and push the tourney to the odd year.

Putting the tournament on the odd year has still not solved the problem. Many African players are frowned upon in Europe since they have to leave their clubs for the tournament when they are sorely needed by those clubs.

One may wonder why we delve so much on the Caf Cup of Nations. The reason is that Issa Hayatou, the long serving Caf president was beaten at the polls by Madagascan Ahmad Ahmad.

Hayatou has been in that  position for the past 29 years. He still wanted to stay on and do God knows what.

Hayatou was one of those people that were very hard to change.

With Ahmad in office we are confident that some changes will take place that will favour the continent.