FKF Presidential candidates urged to have Harambee Stars at heart

Betika Midweek Jackpot winner Rashid Abdalla Said (Right) poses with his son during the cheque presentation. [Courtesy]

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is slated to go for the national polls on December 7 in Nairobi.

The FKF Presidential candidates contesting the elections have been urged to embrace football at heart, more so in the selection of men's national team Harambee Stars, incase they are elected into office.

The successful candidate has been urged to allow only merited players don the national team jersey. This follows failure by Harambee Stars to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations set for Morocco.

"I feel we are not doing enough with our national team call-ups, there are good players in the villages and the countryside who deserve places in Harambee Stars.

"For example, where I stay in Mombasa, there is Mvita Grounds and Mombasa High School who have good young players who I strongly believe can raise the country's flag high on international assignments, sadly their talents will just go into waste.

"Also national team coaches should be given the full mandate to manage teams and not federation officials," noted football enthusiast Rashid Said Abdalla.

Abdalla was speaking in Nairobi on Monday at a function where he was rewarded with Sh15 Million for correctly predicting last week's Midweek Betika Jackpot.

At the same time, Abdalla has tipped either second placed Bandari FC and ninth placed Sofapaka FC to carry the day in the Kenyan Premier League this season.

The 54-year old father of five has been a strong supporter of the two outfits since they penned his son in law and former Harambee Stars defender Abdulatif 'Achkobe' Omar.

Asked what he is going to do with the Sh15 Million windfall, Abdalla stated: "I'm going to place the funds in a fixed deposit account for four to six months to earn interest. I'm going to take my son Said Rashid (a former Qatar based Aspire Academy defender) to college to do nursing. I'm going to buy a house. I'm going to take my family to vacation at the same time pay driving license fees for ten men who are in search of employment."

And how did he feel when he realised he won the large sum of money?

" I felt happy, I couldn't sleep, I was shaking, sleep has evaded my eyes since then due to happiness."

While congratulating Abdalla for landing on the fortunes, Betika Managing Director Mutua Mutava said : "His victory is a pure indication that there are passionate sports lovers across the country, not only in football, but in other disciplines too. We are glad to not only be a source of entertainment, but a platform that nurtures talents and give back to the community."