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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

You have five days to pay Amrouche! FIFA tells FKF

Football

By Mohammed Awal | Mar 06, 2020

Kenya has been given five days by international football governing body FIFA to pay former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche.

The country had written to FIFA on Wednesday this week requesting them to extend their payment deadline.

In a letter seen by the Game Yetu, FIFA accepted Kenya’s position on seeking a deadline extension on paying the former tactician Sh109 million.

“On behalf of the chairman, we hereby inform you that an extension of six days until March 11, 2020, has been exceptionally granted,” read the FIFA letter.

This comes a day after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa expressed confidence that the Government will come to their rescue and pay Amrouche as ordered by FIFA’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

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“I believe the Government will do it. I can’t fathom that Kenya will be out of Qatar. I had a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of sports Joe Okudo and he is running up and down trying to get a solution. We’ve written to FIFA to ask for a month or so to allow the Government to go through it,” said Mwendwa.

The extension is a breath of fresh air to FKF as was Kenya risking to be banned from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

This is after the Switzerland-based CAS ruled in October last year that Amrouche was sacked in 2014 without just course and he should be paid Sh 109 million but the federation did not comply.

This year, Amrouche’s attorneys complained to CAS of FKF’s non-compliance.

Forcing the highest sports court to issue another terse letter on February 28 this year to FKF directing them to pay the Belgian the amount in full before March 5, 2020, or face disciplinary actions.

FIFA had warned FKF on dire consequences based on the file in their possession from CAS should they fail to beat the March 5 deadline.

“In view of the foregoing, and in accordance with art. 52 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, we are herewith opening disciplinary proceedings against Football Kenya Federation for the potential breach of the following provision(s),” read part of the letter.

“In this respect, the aforementioned party (FKF) is invited to provide the secretariat of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee with its position, including proof of payment of any outstanding amounts, within six days of the notification of this communication at the latest,” read the FIFA letter to FKF.

FKF will hope the new lifeline handed to them by FIFA will help the government sort the issue once and for all.