Officials await report from Gor, Ulinzi tie

Match officials and players take cover in the middle of the pitch following chaos during the SportPesa Premier League match between Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars at Moi Stadium Kisumu on July 2, 2017. The match ended 2-2. PHOTO | ONDARI OGEGA |

What you need to know:

  • Bandari want qualified refs for matches.
  • K’Ogalo accuse Waruru of provoking their fans with obscene gestures, a claim soldiers deny.

Kenyan Premier League officials are awaiting report from match officials to determine the way forward following chaos in Sunday’s SportPesa Premier League match between Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars.

At the same time, Bandari coach Paul Nkata has appealed to the league body to ensure only qualified referees officiate league matches following a scuffle in their 1-0 win over Tusker on Sunday that saw Bandari’s Cosmas Lewis and Michael Luvutsi red-carded.

Gor could lose three points should they be found guilty of causing the chaos in the match which ended 2-2 at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.

FORCED TO STOP

Referees were forced to stop the match for about 10 minutes as spectators reacted violently to Stephen Waruru’s 88th minute equaliser that saw Gor drop points in a second straight match.

Ulinzi players James Saruni, Churchill Muloma and Samuel Onyango were injured and windows of the soldiers’ team bus shattered, although the match resumed soon afterwards and was played to the end.

Yesterday, Gor officials also reported that their team bus was attacked by unknown people. The club has also blamed Waruru “for provoking Gor’s supporters and making obscene gestures at the travelling fans while celebrating his last-minute goal.”

“It is uncouth and barbaric of Waruru to provoke our fans by using his middle finger to insult our travelling fans,” read a statement posted on Monday on social media pages affiliated to K’Ogalo.

But Ulinzi denied the claims, saying Waruru broke out in his traditional celebratory dance “which has always included pointing to the skies using his fore finger.”

“Nothing like that happened. Gor Mahia fans were simply annoyed that they conceded an equaliser.
“Waruru always raises his fore finger skywards whenever he scores and that is what he did and it is not provocative. A number of our players were injured so we have a meeting to discuss the issue and deliberate on our next move,” said Ulinzi vice-chairman Major Joe Birgen.

If found guilty, the 15-time champions could face a number of sanctions including stadium bans for their fans, hefty fines, as well as docking of points as was the case in May last year.

But a match up involving Gor and Ulinzi, especially when both teams are enjoying good form, has always been a spicy affair.

Coming into the Sunday clash, the two teams were just within two points of each other at second and third place on the log.

The two former league champions had failed to win in two straight matches, something that heightened each team’s motivation to win.

Rwandese Karim Nizigiyimana scored in the 33rd and 58th minute of the match, with the second deflecting off Ulinzi defender Mohammed “Rio” Hassan.

Coach Zedekiah Otieno’s boys however failed to hold on to victory as the former champions conceded two goals within 15 minutes.

The result was however enough to take them back to the summit of the SPL log following Tusker’s unexpected 1-0 defeat to Bandari.