Kenya's soccer chiefs optimistic over FIFA ban

Kenya's soccer chiefs expressed optimism Tuesday they will escape sanctions by world football governing body FIFA whose deadline for the east African nation to comply with its directive expires on Tuesday night.

Speaking after a crisis national executive meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya Football Federation (KFF) Secretary General Dan Omino said that the federation had fulfilled most of the requirements made by FIFA in Cairo.

"We are in no contravention of KFF statues or FIFA statues and if Kenya is to be punished, FIFA will be applying its authority and not their rights by doing do," he said.

The world's soccer governing body gave Kenya an Oct. 18 deadline last month to sort out several issues agreed upon in Cairo in March that included proper running of the premier league.

One of the key recommendations by FIFA is that KFF de-register KFF-PL and make the name available for clubs to use.

The Kenyan football has been torn apart by the political infighting which has seen the emergence of two factions fighting for control of the premier league.

Bickering is also tearing apart the KFF and the national side, Harambee Stars, which used to be a symbol of unity, over the running of the team.

But Omino said that it would be unfair for FIFA to ban Kenya on the basis of the league pointing out that the federation has met six of the seven requirements that included the youth development, women's football, a well running secretariat and goal project.

"It will be partisan if FIFA bans Kenya based on one category out of seven categories, the others which are of greater significance. It would be a clear demonstration of partisan interest and to some extent it is quasi colonialism," Omino told reporters in Nairobi.

The KFF secretary General said even the issue of the league has been resolved.

"KFF PL is a composition of clubs under KFF as stipulated by FIFA statutes. KPL on the other hand is a composition of renegade clubs outside the framework," he observed.

"We actually don't believe that the directive on the league was from FIFA because FIFA wouldn't go against its own statutes," added Omino.

Speculation is rife that KFF might be banned by the world's football governing body, though stakeholders remain confident that FIFA officials cannot make such drastic move, due to east African nation's strategic importance in global football governance.

The public mood in Kenya seems to support a ban with various newspaper editorials, soccer fans and the public indicating that the ban will allow the industry to re-invent itself with a new approach to football management.

Source: Xinhua