Betway Cup matches called off amid coronavirus fears
Posta Rangers players warm up in an empty Afraha Stadium, Nakuru, on March 14, 2020 after their Betway match against Gor Mahia was cancelled.
What you need to know:
There was confusion as some of the teams showed up at the empty stadium while others kept away.
A handful supporters of K’Ogalo who were unaware of the cancellation of the match went home disappointed.
Only security personnel, sponsors, ball boys, stadium staff and journalists were allowed into the empty stadium.
Two Betway Cup matches that were to be played at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium on Saturday were cancelled amid fears of coronavirus.
The cancellations were done even as officials who were to officiate the Wazito versus Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) tie and another one pitting Gor Mahia against Posta Rangers were ready for the kick-off of the two matches.
CONFUSION
There was confusion as some of the teams showed up at the empty stadium while others kept away.
The centre referee for the match between Wazito and KCB, Davies Omweno, Caroline Kiles, Gladys Kamuren, Beatrice Oganga (fourth official) and match Commissar George Nyamwanda awarded Wazito FC a walkover after the bankers failed to honour the match.
“As far as we are concerned, the match was on and Football Kenya Federation had not indicated of any change of the fixture,” said Omweno.
Omweno, who is also a Fifa referee, said that during the pre-match meeting, there were no letters from Gor Mahia and KCB indicating their intention not to honour their fixtures.
The bankers were in Nakuru on Friday, ready for the match but after the first case of the deadly disease was confirmed in Kenya, they opted not to honour the tie as a precautionary measure.
MATCH CALLED OFF
The match officials of the Posta Rangers versus Gor Mahia tie, Badir Yasin, Fred Akida, Beatrice Achieng’, Wilson Otieno (fourth officials) and match commissar Sylvester Musonye called off the match after Gor Mahia failed to turn up.
However, K’Ogalo team manager Jolawi Obondo clarified that they had written to FKF requesting the postponement of the match.
“We had written to FKF and requested the federation to postpone the match for another date as we shall not travel to Nakuru,” said Obondo
The two matches were supposed to be played in an empty stadium as part of the precautionary measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.
A handful supporters of K’Ogalo who were unaware of the cancellation of the match went home disappointed.
Only security personnel, sponsors, ball boys, stadium staff and journalists were allowed into the empty stadium.
