It’s time we adopt more desirable model to crush hooliganism

Police disperse AFC fans at Mbaraki stadium, last Saturday. [PHOTO: OMONDI ONYANGO/ STANDARD]

Sean Cardovillis } SATURDAY DIGEST

Everytime I bring up the issue of hooliganism and Gor Mahia, their fans start getting defensive and bury their heads in the sand.

Last weekend the cancer reared its ugly head for the umpteenth time as the ‘fans’ celebrated the club’s long awaited title.               

Stars and Muhoroni Youth had to be temporarily stopped, as for some inexplicable reason, the stretch limousines ferrying the players were allowed to do a lap of honour inside the stadium, which led to fans pouring onto the pitch from both outside and in the stands.

Football fans also threatened to stone cars that were not involved in the convoy that snaked down the Thika Superhighway, and also interfered with traffic along the busy road from town.

However the most disturbing story actually appeared on Facebook where a lady, Mercy Chege, posted this:

‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’

Yesterday, was the worst day to be in town, the Gor hooligans... or those posing as them, surrounded the company car I was in, hit the driver, got into the car and tried to detain me there...I don’t know how I got out, but I did and ran out, my bag got snatched and they chased me laughing as I screamed..

I thought I’ve been scared before, but this one beats them all! When I had run a safe distance, only ONE Kenyan came to find out if I was okay and paid my fair home.

The driver I was with also escaped.

Something needs to be done about these hooligans, lots of people were mugged and got their cars vandalized yesterday.

All in all, I’m just very very veery grateful that I was unharmed and thankful for the amazing people in my life for being there for me!

AFC Leopards also have a lot to answer for as hooligans wreaked havoc in Mombasa last weekend and even assaulted a lady referee Damaris Kimani.

The Football Kenya Federation needs to wake-up and realise there is a serious problem with crowd control, hooliganism and vandalism that is undoing all the gains the sport has made in recent years.

LUCRATIVE DEAL

The lucrative and High Definition live television deal with Supersport has elevated the sport to another level, and sponsors are flocking in to cash in on what is becoming one of the richest football leagues in Africa, with top clubs like Gor, AFC, Tusker and Sofapaka attracting numerous sponsors themselves, which has given them the resources to invest in players and the technical bench.

Will it take a tragic stadium stampede with huge loss of life like in Egypt to slap the authorities into action?

It’s not just about FKF anymore but the police and other security agents.

Look what happened ahead of Celtic’s Champions League game against Ajax in Amsterdam on Wednesday where the police had to take charge of rampaging football fans, with a number of policemen suffering broken noses and cuts to their faces in the chaos.

The hooliganism in the past season has so far not resulted in mass destruction of property (apart from the Gor incident at Kasarani on the 4th of August), but should it not be checked, then private properties and lives of neutrals could be at serious risk every time the team plays next season.

THE PAUL TREU X-FACTOR

So New Kenya national sevens head-coach Paul Treu has urged fans not to be overly expectant of the team in the Dubai and Port Elizabeth tournaments.

Treu is playing catch up with the players after only just arriving in the country on Monday with his technical bench, that includes attack coach Vuyo Zangqa and strength and conditioning coach Graham Bentz, who were both ‘poached’ from Rugby South Africa.

Thanks must go to the principal sponsor Kenya Airways, who increased their sponsorship of the team for this season – with Kenya Rugby Union boss Mwangi Muthee promising fans that last season’s financial deficit will be a thing of the past, as the Union has learnt from the lessons of last season under Mike Friday and his team.

This new technical bench is probably the best in the world outside of New Zealand, and the players will feel the physical and psychological pain of rising to a new level of fitness and technical expertise.

As was mentioned in the press conference to unveil Treu this week – to finish fifth overall in the IRB circuit is one thing, but to crack the top four and rise to number one is going to be infinitely harder!

However I have faith that Kenya will win a leg of the IRB circuit very soon under Treu and his world-class technical bench.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND

Make sure you head to the Jamhuri Motocross circuit tomorrow for the FIM East Africa Motocross Championships, featuring riders from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.      

The hosts have 40 riders and must start out as favourites, although Uganda has a strong contingent.

So head on down to the circuit from 9am where there’ll be lots of entertainment off the track to keep young and old busy.

 

— The writer is a sport journalist and runs a consulting firm.

– [email protected]