FKF blasts FOYA nominations

Anthony Ekaliana Ndolo of Sofapaka FC accepts his player of the year award trophy from the FKF President Sam Nyamweya during the 2014 KPL Footballer of the Year Award (FOYA) gala at Safari Park Hotel on 19-11-2014.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has joined Kenyans in expressing their displeasure in picking nominees and eventual winners of the 2014 Kenyan Premier League FOYA awards.

A day after the Gala on Wednesday night, the federation issued a press statement questioning nomination criteria used and called for an independent selection panel to conduct the exercise.

“The national office takes strong exception to the manner in which winners of the 2014 Awards were named on Wednesday night, noting that some players and technical officials won top awards, while those deserving recognition were left out,” the statement read in part.

“We are not the only ones doubting if the exercise was free, fair and transparent, (as) there are complaints from other quarters too - stakeholders and observers as well as the media.

“It appears the exercise was skewed to favour certain teams and individuals and merit was not the key factor used in picking the winners.”

According to FKF, Sofapaka coach Sam Timbe and Gor Mahia captain Jerim Onyango should have been crowned winners in the Coach and Goalkeeper of the Year categories, instead of Chemelil duo of Mike Mururi and Jairus Adira, who won.

“We understand that intense lobbying preceded the exercise, culminating in partiality and biased picking of the winners, which defeats the purpose of the exercise,”  the federation added.

“The Kenyan football fraternity is punching holes in the selection and it is against this backdrop that FKF proposes that in future, a neutral body comprising non-stakeholders in the league, will form the selection panel, as is the practice in other countries.”