Kempes wants FKF to take responsibility for Stars defeat to South Sudan

Former Harambee Stars midfielder Sammy Owino 'Kempes' during an interview with The Standard on May 25, 2023. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

Former Kenyan international Sammy Owino 'Kempes' says the current leadership of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) should take responsibility for Harambee Stars shocking 1-0 defeat to lowly-ranked South Sudan.

According to the former Gor Mahia midfielder, the falling standards of the country's football contributed to the team's loss to the Bright Stars at Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday.

This came barely a few days after Kenya upset 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar 2-1 in a friendly in Doha. 

Owino feels the Kenyan football is in total disarray and needs urgent surgery.

"Our football is mired with corruption, mismanagement, mistrust and something must be done urgently to restore order in the game,” Owino said.

“If as a country we are grappling to bring order and confidence back to our football, we must get the right people at the top.

Last week, a group of former footballers called for the intervention of Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to push for fresh, free and fair FKF elections, and Owino now says all stakeholders must come together to rid the game of poor leadership.

“The right people will rebuild trust, create structures (youth development, coaching education, national teams, leagues, and referees) that connect the whole country (from grassroots to national level).  The improvement of existing facilities and development of new ones is critical," he said.

“It is also very important for the existence of a strong Premier League that is properly managed, branded and marketed to generate interest from viewers and sponsors."