WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who gained or lost what following the Fifa-brokered FKF-KPL deal?

KPL's Ambrose Rachier, left, FIFA representative Kwesi Nyantakyi and President FKF Sam Nyamweya during a reconciliatory meeting between FKF and KPL at Hotel Norfolk, Nairobi, on Monday, March 23rd, 2015. PHOTO/ JONAH ONYANGO.

It was a high stakes game, one that had hallmarks of a classic match pitting FKF President Sam Nyamweya as a person, a beleaguered association and the Kenyan Premier League Limited. By rejecting the Fifa Report, Nyamweya and his brigade, had virtually challenged their chi to a fight that even the greatest of optimists would not have dared to.

But after the resolutions at Norfolk Hotel, both FKF and KPL will have to look at the mirror to find out which spot on their faces is bruised.

Below is an interrogation of who gained or lost what.

Gains: Compliance with rules and regulations (both Fifa and FKF Statutes) has been a problem in Kenya. Following the meeting, Fifa insisted that there must be compliance with both Fifa and FKF Statutes. Fifa directed that FKF forms an Ethics Committee, which to all intents and purposes will go a long way to ensuring sporting integrity in leagues and competitions and by extension future elections.

Losses: The image of local football has suffered (though repairable in the long term) in the eyes of investors. To repair it, however, would take a rolling up of sleeves and willingness to embrace corporate best practices.

Gains: Picture a “Kenyan Italian” playing Russian roulette deep in Siberia.

The odds were stacked against him both in the court of public opinion and, initially the Sports ministry, with calls to have him hounded out of FKF presidency. He was not going to survive the onslaught from KPL, but in the end he may have earned a new lease of life, at least up to election time in October. By playing a high-risk game, he will have six teams from lower tier FKF-PL promoted to elite division next term. And whether it boosts his re-election bid is debatable but he has delivered Azam TV deal for the lower tier clubs.
Losses: His standing in the public may have been further diminished. That he will not have absolute control over KPL in the next eight months is one thing his ego does not take.

-He will be at least 16 votes short at the ballot come October if his relation with KPL clubs is anything to go by.

Gains: -FKF have fought KPL over commercial rights of all competitions and Fifa have confirmed they own football rights to all competitions but will need a legal deed from individual clubs.

- FKF Constitution will override any other document, meaning even such documents as the Cairo Agreement will be subordinate to it.

-All judicial bodies that have often put them at loggerheads with KPL have now reverted to FKF.

-The appointment of referees is now firmly back in the hands of FKF.

-All leagues and competitions will have to be sanctioned by FKF, including KPL’s Transparency Cup or any other football competition on stated terms and conditions.

- The name of the league will be as captured in its Constitution, the FKF Premier League and/or naming rights holder.

- A timeframe will be stated in an MoU with KPL on how long they will run the league, which will hand FKF an exit from this relationship should things go sour.

Losses: -FKF’s key demand for an 18-team league in 2015 flopped.

- This battle reinforced FKF’s image as a bully which does not auger well in the eyes of investors.

- Ethics Committee is a double-edged sword that could in the end trigger the downfall of FKF officials who compromised sporting integrity for political gain.

Gains: - By retaining the 16-team league format is a poke in the eyes of FKF.

- They retain operations of the top tier league.

- They will honour all their contractual obligations which would have otherwise landed them in legal mess had they been stripped of the function.

- With Commercial Rights now gone, clubs still retain individual rights and would have to give FKF permission to trade with their rights.

Losses: - They have lost Commercial Rights to leagues and other competitions.

- Their contract with Supersport that was to run from 2016 to 2021 has been invalidated.

-What’s in a name? Well, Kenyan Premier League gave KPL Ltd almost divine control over the top tier league, but that may no longer be the case as FKF have a big say in FKF Premier League.

- The 16 KPL clubs that stuck together in this fight will lose four of their members at the end of season through relegation although this is subject to negotiation.

- Although KPL has sought for retention of the Joint Executive Committee, which in the past helped them check the excesses of FKF, it is now express that appointment of referees is not in their hands.

- They no longer control judicial bodies such as IDCC.

- KPL Ltd’s recognition by FKF is now at the mercy of the Congress and its running of the league has a timeframe tagged to it.

Gains: -The London and Singapore-based Media and Broadcast rights agency has signed a contract with FKF at a time Fifa has confirmed that Commercial Rights belong to the federation.

As such, MP&Silva will call the shots as representatives of the federation.

- With the KPL-Supersport 2016-2021 deal invalidated, MP&Silva now have a huge carrot to dangle to Azam TV, KTN, Citizen, NTV, K24 or even the pay TV giants Supersport themselves.

- When the GOtv Shield deal expires, any potential sponsor will have to bow down to MP&Silva for the knockout Cup competition.

Losses: MP&Silva signed the FKF Premier League deal with Azam TV on the understanding that the newly “promoted” 18 teams from the lower tier National Super League would be the elite Division. But with the current FKF PL not producing a champion, and therefore a pseudo-premier league, Azam TV may feel short-changed and could press for re-negotiation of their three-year deal. An unwelcome headache.

Gains: Their broadcast deal that ends this year will continue uninterrupted.

- It is now clear for Supersport as to who owns Commercial Rights. Initially, Supersport engaged KPL as the exclusive “Licensor” of the rights, which inevitably brought about the raucous.

Losses: Their broadcast rights extension deal with KPL have been opened up for renegotiation.

Having virtually pulled Kenyan football from the abyss, Supersport may not realise its returns, at least for now, for they have literally been “kicked in their teeth.”

- A monopoly would have been the best way for the pay TV giant to recoup its investment but the playing ground on the local sports scene may have changed forever and ushered in bidding for rights.

Gains: The Johnny-come-lately has virtually gate-crushed into the pie studio. With monopoly forever broken, Azam TV will be in the house for it was always going to be a tough ask to gain a foothold in a country where Supersport is revered. Azam TV could.

Losses: Azam TV signed with FKF to televise an 18-team FKF Premier League. But with this league not producing the national champions, how much is it a loss to the Tanzanian broadcaster?