Lawmakers have a role to play in fighting match-fixing
Kenya Police's John Njoroge (right) vies for the ball with Mathare United's Alphonce Ndonye during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match at Kasarani on January 31, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Suspending the offenders from football is not enough because these crooks find a way of recruiting active players and referees into their web once they are banned from playing.
- An immediate crackdown on match fixers is long overdue. It’s high time parliamentarians who are passionate about football like Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot spearhead this process of criminalizing match-fixing before we can even think of rebuilding the game.
Match fixing claims have repeatedly surfaced in this season’s Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) such that the once decent top tier league is slowly gaining reputation as one that is on repeat mode.
Yes, you heard me right, it’s like watching the repeat version of a game that was played a weekend ago.
So bad is the situation that fans can no longer celebrate a huge win without the odd feeling that the team they support perhaps didn’t deserve to win by such a margin probably because the game was fixed!
Barely does a weekend pass without a match or two being suspected of match fixing. If it’s not the referees, then it’s the defenders or goalkeepers who come under tough scrutiny.
It’s encouraging that clubs have written officially to FKF to complain about this vice as was the case when Nairobi City Stars lost 2-1 to Bandari at Mbaraki Sports Club on January 29.
Their CEO Patrick Korir cited a biased penalty deep in stoppage time that extended beyond the minutes displayed on the fourth official’s substitution board.
FKF is yet to give a ruling on the matter even as stakeholders continue to wait with bated breath on the federation’s action.
Even before the City Stars’ complaint had been filed at Kandanda House, FKF suspended Mathare United duo of Lennox Ogutu and Alphonce Ndonye indefinitely to pave way for investigations over their involvement in match fixing.
While this is a bold move by FKF, led by the Head of Integrity Michael Kamure, it will take a lot of brute to kick out match fixing perpetrators from the game.
Kenyan football will never be the same again if individuals associated with match fixing continue walking scot-free in this country.
The current FKF administration enjoys a lot of goodwill from the Kenya Kwanza government therefore they should lobby parliament to introduce a motion that will see match fixing criminalised.
This way, offenders will know they risk rotting in jail if they are found guilty. Match fixing brought the once powerful Italian club Juventus to its knees and it took them years to rebuild and return to Serie A.
Kenyan football is already suffering from financial instability with players and coaches of local clubs going for months without salary. If left unattended, match fixing will suck the little life remaining in Kenyan football.
Football development is top of Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba’s agenda but his tireless efforts will go to waste if the match fixing menace is not dealt with once and for all.
Suspending the offenders from football is not enough because these crooks find a way of recruiting active players and referees into their web once they are banned from playing.
An immediate crackdown on match fixers is long overdue. It’s high time parliamentarians who are passionate about football like Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot spearhead this process of criminalising match-fixing before we can even think of rebuilding the game.
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