A police officer keeps guard during the trouble ridden Gor Mahia v Tusker match/PHOTO-Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26- Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards have announced they will appeal to the Football Kenya Federation’s Independent Disciplinary and Appeals Committee (IDAC) the decision by the Kenya Premier League’s Independent Disciplinary and Complaints Committee (IDCC) to dock them three points over cases of hooliganism.
IDCC made the ruling on Thursday after finding both clubs guilty to scenes of hooliganism witnessed during Gor’s match against Tusker FC and Leopards’ against Ulinzi Stars.
Speaking to Capital Sport, Gor Mahia assistant Secretary General Ronald Ngala said they will not take the decision hands back, disclosing that they will file an appeal to the Federations disciplinary body Friday morning.
“We cannot accept such kind of nonsense. We don’t feel in any way that this decision is in good taste and we read a lot of mischief into it. Already, we lost the match in unfair manner and now they are moving to dock us points that’s unacceptable,” Ngala asserted.
By docking them the points, Gor will cede leadership of the SportPesa Premier League and drop to fourth as already indicated on the official KPL website.
“We cannot work hard to prepare the team to win on the field then somebody comes and docks us points. It is unfair. We would rather lose on the pitch,” an agitated Ngala added.
Gor’s match against Tusker FC on April 16 was stopped for close to 15 minutes after a section of the crowd threw projectiles into the pitch protesting a penalty awarded to Tusker.
A confrontation occurred between Gor players and the match officials with the anger spilling to the fans but ultimately, the match went on.
Gor keeper Boniface Oluoch has been consequently banned for one match following his shove on one of the match officials but Ngala said they will not appeal the keeper’s ban as it was legit and Oluoch himself has accepted the charge.
-AFC verdict-
A section of Leopards fans on the other hand caused abandonment of their match against Ulinzi Stars on April 23 in Mumias after another contested penalty.
Speaking to Capital Sport, AFC co-chair Dan Mule also said they will not accept the docking of points and will appeal to IDAC.
“We cannot accept that because we feel it is an unfair decision. Already, the match was awarded to Ulinzi despite it being abandoned at 1-1. Now we are punished even further and we feel it is not the right decision,” Mule said.
Just a few days after the two cases of violence, FKF passed stringent measures to curb hooliganism including docking of points, but said the new rules would not affect the two past cases which were already at the KPL IDCC.
