Unsporting Leopards fans just can’t stomach defeat

Acts of hooliganism in Kenyan football are not about to end anytime soon if the ugly scenes witnessed on Saturday in Thika during a Kenyan Premier League match between Thika United and AFC Leopards is anything to go by.

Worryingly, such incidents of crowd trouble are no longer the preserve of the top tier league. Similar cases have been witnessed in the FKF Premier League and the lower leagues. In Thika, AFC Leopards fans unleashed widespread terror, twice stopping play to protest match officials’ decision.

This was after their team fell behind to what would prove to be the match-winning goal by Ray Omondi in the 39th minute. Thika United won the match 1-0. Centre referee Amos Wanjala and first assistant David Otiang’a bore the brunt of the malignant goons for letting a goal scored from an ‘offside position’ stand, even with TV replays showing otherwise.

The fracas forced the match to be stopped in the first-half then again later towards the end as Leopards fans, in their destructive element, pelted Thika United’s technical bench with all manner of missiles.

Journalists, SuperSport crew and ball boys were also caught in the crossfire between the fans and the police as the match venue became engulfed in teargas fumes. The battle later spilled to the streets of Thika town as the police struggled to contain the situation.

Its inexplicable how the fans of a club struggling to attract corporate sponsorship could have resorted to such mayhem.

Sadly, the authorities have proved either incapable or unwilling to end this culture of violence in Kenyan football.

Late last year, KPL formulated laws that recommend, amongst other measures, docking of points from teams found guilty of causing match abandonment, but the full weight of these laws is yet to be felt.

Contacted yesterday, KPL head of technical, safety and security GMT Ottieno declined to give an elaborate response on Saturday’s incident. “I will first have to see and analyse footage of the match before I can comment authoritatively on the matter,” Ottieno said.

Meanwhile, Gor Mahia maintained their stranglehold at the top of the log with a Michael Olunga-inspired 4-1 win over Chemelil Sugar to stretch their unbeaten record to 16 games.

From the result of the match in Nakuru, K’Ogalo are comfortably perched on top of the table with 42 points, 12 more than second-placed Sofapaka.