Posta Rangers players celebrating in a past SPL match.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 27 – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has with immediate effect disqualified Kenyan Premier League side Posta Rangers from the ongoing GOtv Shield for fielding an ineligible player in their round of 64 match against TimSales FC Kericho.
The move is in line with FKF’s new guidelines on player transfers and registrations that came into force on June 1, 2016.
Posta is the first club to be affected by the new rules that has seen the federation centralize all player transfers and registration as required by FIFA.
In a letter addressed to the club’s chairman John Tanui, FKF claim Posta Rangers failed to adhere to Rule 8.2 that requires clubs registering players submit to the federation secretariat the player (s) form and contract signed between the club and the player.
In this case, Posta fielded new signing winger John Nairuka, who went on to score a brace in the game that his side won 4-1 at the Kericho Green Stadium over the weekend.
Nairuka was acquired from Ulinzi Stars on a two-year deal in the June transfer window but FKF says Posta did not follow the proper procedures.
“We are in receipt of the referee’s report for round of 64 GOtv Shield match Posta Rangers vs TimSales FC Kericho, which shows that Posta Rangers fielded an eligible player. The amended Football Kenya Federation players registration and transfers regulations 2016 clearly states that all players registration and transfer shall be done by the federation from June 1, 2016.”
“It is clear that Posta Rangers did not only fail to adhere to the above rule but also broke FKF’s Rule 24.1 by fielding a unregistered player namely John Nairuka who remains an Ulinzi Stars FC player, as his transfer has not been cleared by the federation,” the statement read.
