Amrouche offers FKF lifeline but alleges blackmail plot

Kenyan football could enjoy yet another lifeline after former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche agreed to wait a little longer for the settlement of a Sh109 million debt owed to him by Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Initially, world football governing body, Fifa, had extended the payment deadline to Friday.

According to reliable sources, FKF had requested for another extension “owing to the current coronavirus pandemic that has slowed down the economy globally.”

Severe punishment awaits Kenya should the Algeria-born Belgian coach’s arrears remain unpaid, most significantly Harambee Stars’ expulsion from the 2022 World Cup qualifying programme.

But Amrouche on Friday said he had accepted Fifa’s request for another postponement of the deadline and the Zurich-based world football governing body is now expected to announce the fresh moratorium soon.

And as Amrouche spoke, Fifa announced it would give all its federations, including FKF, $500,000 (about Sh53.5 million) to cushion them against effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Fifa said they would release the money “in the coming days” along with any remaining entitlement for 2019 and 2020 “as the first step of a relief plan to assist the football community impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This measure will mean that a total of around $150 million will be distributed among the 211 national football governing bodies around the world,” the Fifa statement said.

The Sh109 million, that includes accrued interest and costs, was awarded to Amrouche by the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) for unfair dismissal.

The coach, who currently works in Botswana as national team coach, sensationally claimed that some FKF officials were blackmailing him and demanding payment of an undisclosed “percentage” of the Sh109 award.

He said he had endured untold suffering, including using family finances in court battles and having to go for two years without a job.

"I have no faith in the current regime bearing in mind how they have handled this issue which should have been sorted out long time ago but Fifa asked me if I am okay with another extension and I said it's okay," Adel told Nation Sport.

"I spent all my resources on this case paying my lawyer fees and I want to get done with it but FKF are not willing to pay me.

“The Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Sports even spoke to me and I was willing to work on with the plan they were proposing, but the federation was not willing," the tactician alleged.

“The story is FKF and Nick (Mwendwa, FKF President) want me to accept his deal. You know me. I’m a man of principle and I will never accept to give him even one shilling.”

Contacted to respond to the coach’s sensational blackmail claims, FKF were unwilling to comment on the matter with the federation’s chief executive officer Barry Otieno saying the case is still ongoing at CAS and they can only wait for further ruling for direction.

FKF President Mwendwa has in a series of media interviews recently revealed Kenya would be banned from 2022 World Cup qualifiers for failing to pay the money owed to Amrouche.

SACKED

He has in the past tried to woo the Ministry of Sport to pay the bill unsuccessfully.

Amrouche was sacked as the Harambee Stars coach in 2014 while serving a six-month ban from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for allegedly spitting on a match official in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Comoros.

He later appealed and the ban was shortened to six months but FKF insisted it would be impossible for him to work as he was still banned and sacked him. Amrouche appealed his dismissal to Fifa and was awarded Sh69 million, with the global football governing body ordering FKF to pay him but they appealed to CAS who finally ordered FKF to pay Sh109 million including accruing costs.

Amrouche accused FKF of throwing him under the bus and visiting untold suffering to him, his coaching career and his family life.

“I have been waiting since 2014 and for me one month or more (moratorium) is the same. But its a question of principle, because FKF deserted me when Caf banned me for something I never did,” the Belgian tactician lamented.

“I was thrown out of my apartment with no car, no money and I was struggling alone to pay a lawyer for two years while I was jobless.

“I spent all my money and family money, but I never said anything bad about Kenya. I was innocent and my only mistake was to be coach of Kenya.

“But God is great and with the evidence I have, I won my case against Caf.”

Meanwhile, in their statement on Friday, Fifa said the Covid-19 pandemic has caused “unprecedented challenges for the entire football community.”

“And, as the world governing body, it is Fifa’s duty to be there and support the ones that are facing acute needs,” the statement quoted Fifa President Gianni Infantino as saying.

“This starts by providing immediate financial assistance to our member associations, many of which are experiencing severe financial distress.

“This is the first step of a far-reaching financial relief plan we are developing to respond to the emergency across the whole football community.

“Together with our stakeholders, we are we assessing the losses and we are working on the most appropriate and effective tools to implement the other stages of this relief plan.”