How FKF put players at Covid risk

Football Kenya Football (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa (L) and acting CEO Barry Otieno shake hands after a press briefing over John Avire’s purported transfer at the Goal project offices in Nairobi on July 22, 2019 [photo courtesy]

Statement from CAF disciplinary board said that on the day of the match, the General Secretary of the Comoros Football Federation went in early to take samples for testing but Kenya's national team management refused.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been fined 20,000 dollars (Sh2.2 million) by Confederation of African Football (CAF) after it was found out that four Harambee Stars were fielded against Comoros despite testing positive for Covid-19.

At the same time FKF CEO Barry Otieno and Harambee Stars team manager Ronny Oyando were each banned for six months for allegedly tearing apart the Covid-19 results of Kenyan team during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Comoros.

The statement from CAF disciplinary board which was released on Friday said that on the day of the match, the General Secretary of the Comoros Football Federation went in early to take samples for testing but Kenya's  national team management refused.

The African body said that Kenyan officials delayed the process for three hours until before before kick-off.

“The test results arrived just a few minutes before kick-off, during warm-up, due to the said delay.

“The Commissioner did not get the chance to check the results himself as Barry Otieno, the general secretary of FKF, and Ronny Oyando, the Kenyan team manager disputed the results as soon as they became aware of them and snatched them from him and tore them apart,” read the statement from CAF.

“According to the test results that were acquired after the match, four players tested positive before the match yet they took part in the game and risked the contamination of the opposing team as well as their fellow teammates and all officials that were involved in Match 94 of the Total African Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

“As a result, the CAF Disciplinary Board has handed the Kenyan CEO a six-month ban from all football-related activities and also imposed the same on the team’s team manager Ronny Oyando for risking the health of all officials and players involved.

“In terms of Caf Statutes and Regulations, the Covid-19 FAQs and Articles 82, 83, 133, 134 and 98 of CAF Disciplinary Code, CAF Disciplinary Board has decided to impose a ban of 6 (six) months on Otieno and Oyando from all football activities relating to CAF,” read the CAF statement.

Otieno told Standard Sports that he was not aware of the decision taken by CAF but will comply with it.

“I have just learnt about the allegations and will be consulting internally on the next steps.

“Nonetheless, I wish to state that everyone who was present, during the incident, including the Match Commissioner, knows that what has been alleged is not true. That notwithstanding, CAF has made a decision and as a member we will comply with it,” Otieno said.

Kenya lost the game 2-1 with Cliff Nyakeya scoring Harambee Stars. The first leg at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, ended in a one-all draw.