FKF-PL faces match-fixing problems as National Super League (NSL) enters Round 13 with eight fixtures scheduled for this weekend as Mara Sugar face Mombasa Elite at Awendo Stadium, on Saturday.
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Shabana lead the standings with 26 points from 12 matches, neighbors Gusii FC are joint second on 24 points with Murang’a Seal while Kibera Black Stars are fourth on 23.
Gusii lost 1-0 to visitors Mombasa Elite after they were awarded three points from their abandoned match against Kajiado FC.
The defeat at Gusii Stadium ended Gusii’s three-match winning streak but saw Mombasa Elite move to sixth position.
NSL Fixtures (all matches at 3 pm)
Saturday
- Mara Sugar v Mombasa Elite (Awendo Stadium)
- Gusii FC v Migori Youth (Gusii Stadium)
- Kibera Black Stars v MCF (Ligi Ndogo Grounds)
- Coastal Heroes v Kisumu AllStars (Mbaraki Sports Club)
Match fixing: Two foreigners and a Kenyan were arrested in Nairobi
Russian Akhiad Kubiev, Ugandan Bernard Navendi, and Kenyan Martin Munga Mutua were all arrested in a move aimed at curbing match-fixing in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) match against Sofapaka on Saturday at Ruaraka.
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On Friday at about 10 pm in Zimmerman the three were arrested together with seven Nairobi City Stars players whom they had approached, to help fix their FKF-PL match.
Former footballer Festo Omukoto led the setup; the players were to pocket a sum of Sh1.8 million ($14,000) if the deal went through. However, they were to first receive Sh30, 000 each through Mpesa as transport to the match venue.
The suspects tried to bribe the police with Sh1 million, admitted to having infiltrated several local clubs, and claimed to be “well connected”.
Trap for the three Suspects
Police only found mattresses in the room where they were busted by the law enforcers after being tipped by City Stars Chief Executive Officer Patrick Korir.
The players were released at midnight after recording their statement, alongside Korir and the club’s coordinator Samson Otieno.
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Omukoto who was among the four local players banned by Fifa in 2020 from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of four years after they were found guilty of match-fixing, said the suspects have for the last month been asking him to connect them with City Stars players, who they can recruit into the vice.
Festus Okiring and Moses Chikati are the other players who were banned for four years while Ugandan George Mandela was banned for life.
Omukoto claimed that with the ban having ruined his bright football career, he did not want the same predicament to befall other determined players. He says he informed Korir of the matter, and together with Otieno and the seven players they decided to set a trap.
“Match fixing ruined my career and continues to destroy our football. I did not want the players to go through what I underwent,” said Omukoto.
In the City Stars v Sofapaka match, the directive by the suspects was that the Simba wa Nairobi concede a goal in the opening 10 minutes and go for the breather trailing 1-0.
“They say that they are working with several local clubs and only pay after the deal is through since some clubs are not cooperative,” Otieno, adding that the suspects told them that matches played on weekdays earn them more revenue than weekend games.
Between the 70th and 78th minute, the suspects were to make another live bet that City Stars was going to concede two more goals in the last 10 minutes of the clash. In case City Stars scored a goal, Sofapaka were required to add another.
Law on Match Fixing
Korir thanked Omukoto and the City Stars players for standing for integrity adding that it was time a law criminalizing match-fixing was passed in Parliament.
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He added that the suspects promised to increase the amount of money they pay the players in subsequent matches should they continue to cooperate.
“I have spoken about it before but people take it (match fixing being rampant in FKF-PL) for granted. I am glad we can now put faces to the noise we have been making,” said Korir.
Speaking during NTV’s Monday night sports show – SportOn! On February 21, Korir revealed that sometime in 2021 one of his players at City Stars was being offered $10,000 (Sh1,261,300 as per the current exchange rate) to help fix their FKF-PL match against Nzoia Sugar that was held at Narok Stadium.
FKF on for investigations
The other incident happened just minutes before they faced Kenya Police in another FKF-PL match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Annex.
The CEO disclosed that someone who identified himself as a president of a betting company in Turkey contacted him via WhatsApp, imploring him to share with him beforehand the results of the contest so that they could have the match on their betting platform.
Korir said the person informed him that he got his mobile number from one of his players. He stopped engaging him immediately after he learned that he was attempting to lure him to manipulate the match.
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FKF is currently investigating 17 individuals including players and coaches over match-fixing allegations. The federation has suspended them from taking part in any football activity in the country.
