Gor Mahia locked out of Caf Champions League draw
Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia will miss out of next season’s Caf Champions League after failing to make the list of teams which will be on the continental’s competition draw this week.
Gor Mahia is not among the 54 teams posted on Caf website which will be pooled in a draw on Tuesday in Cairo. This was after the Football Kenya Federation withdrew the Club Licensing Certificate on Wednesday on the basis the club had breached payment agreement with three of its former players.
The trio included Congolese forward Sando Sando Yangay, Malian goalkeeper Adama Keita and Burundian attacker Jules Ulimwengu. Sando was owed Sh2.27 million, Keita, Sh4.3 million and Ulimwengu Sh1.1 million.
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Even though Gor management cleared the arrears owed to the players by Friday morning, FKF insisted that the club had not obliged by the deadline issued by Caf of Thursday 4pm. Furthermore, their appeal to have FKF reinstate their license was not successful as the federation released a chain of events which had led to their licence cancellation.
This means Kenya will not have a club in the prestigious competition next season. Kakamega Homeboyz, who won the MozzartBet Cup, is the only side which will represent the country in Caf as they will participate in the draws of the Caf Confederation Cup.
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Missing out of the Caf Champions League will be a bitter pill for KÓgalo fans, players and the technical bench. Gor Mahia clinched the league title of the last day of the season, having been pushed all to way to the finish line by Tusker FC.
Revoking their licence also means the club’s participation in the next season’s league now hangs in the balance. On Thursday, club secretary general Sam Ochola castigated FKF decision to revoke the club license yet all payments had been made.
Ochola, who has thrown his hat in the ring for next year’s FKF Presidency, said the payment of the three players all their dues was a gesture that the club had complied with Fifa and Caf requirements.
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