Match fixing in Kenya is taking another turn as officials admit openly about the vice that is eating the football arena in the country.
FKF President Nick Mwendwa and former Gor treasurer Sally Bolo explain the tragic events of match fixing in Kenyan football.
Mwendwa says, “Allegedly, a coach was caught urging his players to lose. A new frontier in Kenyan football. We have to up our game and make sure we deal with it.”
“The integrity of our beloved sport is at stake as shocking allegations of match-fixing rock the FKF Premier League. A FIFA referee and multiple match officials face suspension after allegedly fixing a match on Week 27. Furthermore, a retired FIFA referee and several current referees are also implicated.
“That is, I have drowned out the stakeholders, and it’s disappointing to say the least. Club management and the technical bench of respective clubs work so hard to prepare a team to honour a match, whether at home or away, then a few greedy individuals manipulate the match outcome. And the worst part of it is that the outcome of the match is known even 12 or more hours before the match kicks off!
“With the increased reports of match fixing in Kenyan football, we have no choice but to protect the integrity of the sport we love by criminalising the match fixing device.”
Kileleshwa MCA also added, “When I talked about match-fixing, fools (including journalists) insulted me and called me all manner of names. Now the FKF boss is openly admitting that there is a serious case of match-fixing locally. And let me tell you, Sportpesa is the leading culprit in this.”