NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 24 – For the first time in its history, Mathare United will on Sunday afternoon forfeit a Premier League match, due to the dire lack of funds to run its operations, following years of struggles.
If indeed they do not walk into the Kasarani Annex to face Bandari FC, Mathare, who are already battling relegation at the bottom of the FKF Premier League standings, will be two other matches away from being officially relegated, if they hand walkovers again.
In a damning release by owner and chairman Bob Munro, the club says it can no longer afford to run its activities, and according to a source within the club, if they are relegated, then it might be the start of the end of the 2008 league champions.
“Today, sadly, our team is financially unable to host and honour a match for the first time since we started playing in the FKF leagues 28 years ago,” a press statement from Munro read in part.
It adds; “Today is a sad day in the 35-year history of the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and Mathare United FC (MUFC). lt’s an especially sad and even painful day for me and the MUFC staff, coaches, players and their families as well as for the tens of thousands of youth in the Mathare and neighbouring slums who dream of helping themselves and their families escape poverty by someday playing for Mathare United.”
Munro, further goes on to blame the club’s financial woes on the former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) office, saying their alleged hostile take over of the league activities, the expansion of the league to 18 teams which subsequently led to the exit of broadcast sponsors Supersport and their alleged failure to pay club’s royalties from their last broadcast sponsorship are reasons for their current predicament.
A source within the club has intimated to Capital Sports that the situation at the club is dire and players have only had full salary for a month since the season began.
“The players had threatened not to travel to Kakamega for last weekend’s game against Vihiga and the bosses had to look for something small to enable them travel. It has been really tough for the club and players have been surviving on small amounts of Sh2,000-5,000 once in a while and this has proved to be difficult,” the source stated.
“There is fear that if the club is relegated, then that will be the end. If it is difficult to get sponsorship in the Premier League, then now what of the NSL?” the source added.
The club has had several sponsorship deals over the last few seasons including with betting sites Odibets, Triple5Bet, but these have all not lasted for long.
At the start of the season, immediate former coach Ezekiel Akwana had opened the lid on just how dire the situation at the club was, going on to state that the club was even struggling to have players in training.
Meanwhile, Bandari will show up at the Annex for the early kick off, and if Mathare fails to show up, then they will be handed a walkover.
