Fifa blows lid on match-fixing in Kenya, bans four
What you need to know:
- Four were at the time attached to Kakamega Homeboyz.
World football governing body Fifa says that a number of matches in the 2019 Kenyan Premier League season were manipulated.
Consequently, the world governing body has handed four footballers lengthy bans in relation to the vice.
Those found guilty and banned include one George Mandela, a Ugandan, who has been handed a lifetime ban from all football related activities.
Three others, Moses Chikati, Festus Okiring and Festo Omukoto, all Kenyans, have similarly been banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four (4) years.
The four were at the time attached to Kakamega Homeboyz.
"The formal disciplinary proceedings against the aforementioned individuals stemmed from an investigation into various matches from the Kenyan Premier League in 2019," a statement from Fifa's Disciplinary Committee stated.
"I pity the affected players," added Homeboyz owner Cleophas Shimanyula, who was the whistle blower of this vice.
"They were lied to by the coaches who are the main culprits but have somehow been set free. Match-fixing is happening in our league and our federation doesn't seem interested in investigating the vice. I have to thank Fifa for its efforts to have a clean game."
Shimanyula had also accused Ugandan coach Paul Nkata of being involved in match-fixing.
Independent investigations by Nation Sport revealed that the said players received up to Sh150,000 to manipulate matches. The racket was commissioned by a Nairobi-based man of Indian origin and most of the payments were done via mobile phones.
Fifa officials also found that some of the players had been placing bets via their own mobile phones on matches they were competing in.
These announcements come barely a month after Wazito owner Ricardo Badoer claimed via social media that he had been informed by persons not known to him that his players have been fixing Kenyan Premier League matches this season.
Harambee Stars 4-1 defeat in the hands of Eritrea in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup semi-finals in Kampala last December is another result that has been viewed with suspicion.
