FKF in desperate effort to lure SuperSport back
A SuperSport camera crew in full flight during a past Premier League match in Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- Federation attempts to salvage broadcasting partnership gone sour
- Broadcaster declines KPL call for talks after cancelling lucrative sponsorship
Football Kenya Federation are in talks with SuperSport in a bid to resolve to the stand-off between the South African broadcaster and the Kenyan Premier League.
This comes four days after SuperSport terminated its partnership with the league managers citing breach of contract.
Nation Sport understands that SuperSport have declined KPL’s call for negotiations following the termination of the contract. SuperSport cited last month’s ruling by the Sports Disputes Tribunal that confirmed FKF as the body mandated to run football in the country as part of their reason to prematurely end the partnership.
RESUMES BROADCASTING
A statement released by the federation Tuesday confirmed that there have been several meetings involving the top football managers in the country where it was unanimously agreed that every option will be explored to ensure that SuperSport resumes broadcasting the top flight league.
FKF were, however, clear that they intend to be an active part of all subsequent contractual agreements entered by KPL “to capture the correct position of both parties” in order to mitigate against any possible fallout in the future.
“We have resolved that it is in our best interest and that of Kenyan football to have SuperSport back on air. As such, the federation has moved to engage SuperSport in order to remedy the situation,” FKF president Nick Mwendwa said.
“We have further made assured SuperSport that we have delegated the mandate to commercially organise the top tier, and that we are willing to provide any warrants that might be required to demonstrate this.”
For their part, KPL said that they will look for alternative modes or interacting with SuperSport on this matter so as to have them to rescind their decision.
KPL chairman Ambrose Rachier also cast aspersions on the federation’s move to negotiate for a fresh deal directly with SuperSport, saying that no federation in the world has ever engaged with sponsors of the top flight league.
“I have never heard of a federation negotiating sponsorship rights on behalf of the league organisers,” Rachier said.
“We have held meetings within the Governing Council. SuperSport have met with the federation. The FKF president has agreed to write to Johannesburg and find out how best to resolve this.”
“FKF is now willing to give us the warranties to be in charge of the league so we shall continue to engage with SuperSport around this issue but if they have their other reasons for pulling out then we cannot do much.”
Meanwhile, FKF has put on hold disciplinary proceedings that had been preferred against KPL Governing Council members Bob Munro (Mathare United), Ambrose Rachier (Gor Mahia) and Jack Oguda (KPL Chief Executive Officer) in a bid to foster a spirit of cohesion between themselves and the league body.
