The country’s football integrity has once again been put to test after FIFA announced the expulsion of FKF Premier League side Zoo Kericho from the top flight for alleged match-fixing. The Kericho based side will now play in the country’s second tier, the National Super League in the 2021/22 season.
In January 2020, Zoo Kericho sacked three of their players- Sammy Sindani, Norman Werunga, and Martin Elungat.
The club announced they were fired after being suspected of match-fixing, with their coach Herman Iswekha admitting “they have been conceding goals suspiciously” leading to an internal probe that identified the culprits.
FIFA announced on Tuesday that it had expelled the Kericho based side from the FKF Premier League with FKF acknowledging the same.
In the letter,FIFA says “the club is responsible for activities related to activities related to manipulation of football matches and competition,”
“The club Zoo FC is hereby expulsed from the Kenya Premier League season 2020/21 as of the date of notification of the present decision.”
“The FIFA disciplinary committee hereby order the relegation of the first team of the club Zoo FC to the FKF Division One from next season.”
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee orders the club Zoo to contact FIFA in the next 30 days from the notification of this decision and implement a prevention plan as an educative directive designed to prevent and combat the manipulation of football matches and competitions,” FIFA said in a letter signed by the deputy chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee Alejandro Piera.
The club has however said that it is going to appeal FIFA’s decision even as FKF confirmed Zoo’s relegation to the NSL in the 2021/2022 season. The Federation in a letter addressed to Zoo Kericho said they had received FIFA’s receipt of correspondence and would work according to the laid down procedures to oversee the matter.
“We wish to inform you that we are in receipt of correspondence from FIFA dated May 4 2021, with regard to a FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling against your club on grounds of manipulation of football matches and competitions,” FKF said in a letter addressed to Zoo Kericho chairman Ken Ochieng.
The former federation lawyer has meanwhile said that the club will appeal the decision against FIFA according to the law.
Ochieng has told TeamKenya that they will appeal the decision by following all the legal processes required.
“We sense a political move in this decision an we know the forces behind this,” he said.
“The matter is very easy and i am very relaxed about it. For now we remain suspended for the next 30 days and we will honour that.”
“FIFA have clearly stated that we were indirectly liable to any matters and most of the findings here have been furnished by betting company reports,” he told TeamKenya.
“We were the whistleblowers on this matter and now we have been vindicated by the forces who might not have liked our stance a few months ago,” he added.
“We feel that double standards are coming to play here but then we have to act according to what we know is right,” he quipped.
Ochieng has also questioned the decision to single out his club, leaving out the likes of Kakamega Homeboyz who were also rocked with the same allegations two years ago.
Four more FKF Premier League sides namely; Sofapaka, Mathare United, Posta Rangers and Wazito are currently being investigated by FIFA for manipulation of matches.