Mwendwa dares Gor, Leopards to skip derby
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has dared Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards to make good their threat of boycotting Saturday’s Mashemeji Derby.
The two teams on Friday, July 30, 2021, wrote a letter to Mwendwa threatening not to honour this fixture unless outstanding dues, amounting to Sh3 million at the very least, are paid in full.
But then, a tough speaking Mwendwa has further warned these two clubs that they risk paying an Sh10 million fine alongside what he described as ‘the worst ever punishment in the country’s football history’ should they carry on with the threat to fruition.
Mwendwa also told Nairobi News he will no longer entertain ‘nonsense’ from these two clubs.
Pressed further by this scribe to reveal the punishment, he fell short of saying he will relegate the two most successful clubs in the country with 32 league titles between them to the second-tier league of Kenyan football.
“These two teams owe us monies and we’ve never pushed them to pay because we also need our money. Let them miss the derby, in fact, I will be at the stadium with full cameras. If they don’t change their mind then on Monday they will regret it,” warned Mwendwa.
“The StarTimes broadcast rights which is a contractual agreement provides that if a match aborts then I will be billed not less than Sh10 million. If they miss, they will have to pay the money. That wouldn’t be enough because I will announce the biggest punishment ever witnessed in our football history,” the football boss further warned.
Mwendwa also revealed he has been protecting the Gor and Leopards from Fifa sanctions over unpaid players’ salaries and coaches but this time he will leave their fate at the hands of the world governing football body.
“How is Betway Cup and the league related? We have helped these two clubs during times of crisis with the recent case of coach Steven Polack before Fifa. How do you serve the media with a letter before even consulting with the federation?” he posed.