FKF orders Sofapaka pay goalkeeper Wycliffe Kasaya Sh1.6m

Goalkeeper Wycliffe Kasaya.PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

Big win for player FA declares the 2009 champion club at fault

Football body rules goalkeeper wrongfully dismissed by Batoto Ba Mungu, club president set to appeal decision.

Sofapaka have vowed to appeal Football Kenya Federation’s ruling on Saturday directing the club to compensate goalkeeper Wycliffe Kasaya Sh1.6m for wrongful dismissal.

The Kenyan international had sought legal redress at the Federation’s Player Status Committee after his two-year contract, which was to expire on May 31 2020, was terminated at the end of last season, barely four months after joining Batoto Ba Mungu.

The Committee established that despite having an existing contract, the goalkeeper had only been paid for three months with his last salary coming in on September 2018.

But Kasaya, who had been released alongside eight other players, has not been able to feature for his new SportPesa Premier League club Posta Rangers due to lack of a release letter from Sofapaka.

“The player had a fixed term contract with the club running from June 2, 2018, to May 31, 2020. The last salary the player received was for the month of September 2018,” read part of the ruling by the FKF Player Status Committee.

“Having considered the player’s complaint, his submissions and those of the club, the committee’s decision is that there was wrongful and unfair constructive dismissal of the Player’s contract with Sofapaka FC on the 8th November 2018,”

“Consequently, upon the finding above, the Committee makes the following orders:

1.    A declaration is hereby issued that the player is a free agent competent and at liberty to enter into any contract with any club in the Kenyan Premier League without the need for any release letter from his former club, Sofapaka FC;

2.    An order is hereby issued directing the club to pay the player KES 1,610,000 comprising of unpaid salary for October 2018, three months’ salary in lieu of notice and compensation for the balance of the term of the prematurely terminated contract,” continued the ruling.

However, in a swift rejoinder, Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa claims they never released Kasaya and that he is ‘still’ their player.

“We cannot pay that money because as an independent club we still have a running contract with the player.  We didn’t take the case to the federation, but we are going to appeal that ruling,” Kalekwa told Standard Sports.

“We don’t have a problem with the player. For your information, we never released him, he just disappeared only for him to resurface demanding a release letter,” Kalekwa said.

He’s doing this after he had already started training with Posta Rangers without our consent.

“We are still gathering more evidence as we prepare ourselves for the next step. So, there is no big deal here.”

Athletics
Watch out for improved times at Lukenya marathon on Sunday
Rugby
SCHOOLS: Maseno School renew rivalry with St Mary's Yala in rugby
Hockey
SCHOOLS: Ng'iya Girls, Ageng'a Mixed, Kisumu Girls and Nyamira headline hockey
By Mose Sammy 11 hrs ago
Golf
Ireland Brendan wins Nakuru Captain prize