NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 – The FKF Cup semi final match pitting AFC Leopards and Kenya Police FC was called off in the 60th minute at the Police Sacco Stadium on Sunday evening after crowd trouble.
The second assistant referee Samuel Kuria was hit by a projectile after raising his flag for an offside and consequently retreated to the dressing room for treatment. However, the referees did not return to the pitch.
Police were leading 1-0 at the point of abandonment, with Tito Okello having scored the opener in the eighth minute.
According to Federation officials at the venue, the Leagues and Competitions Committee will sit down to discuss the fate of the game, but the probably decision will be to replay the remainder of the game on Monday.
Shikanda says Leopards had raised red flag
However, AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda speaking after the game said any decision to replay only part of the game will not be taken lightly.
He took issue with the decision to bring the high risk game to the Police Sacco Stadium, saying they had raised the red flag before.
“We wrote to the Federation asking them to have this game played at the Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu because it is a high risk game, but they did not heed to our call. The decision to have this game played at Police Sacco was a big risk,” Shikanda said after the game.
“We want this game replayed in full,” he further added.
Section of fans bring down perimeter
Troible had already started brewing when a section of fans who were on the opposite end of the main stand brought down a section of the perimeter, and when assistant ref Kuria suffered a head injury from being hit, the game took its turn.
The referees retreated to the dressing rooms, with Kuria set to receive treatment, but they made a decision not to return to the pitch for their safety, with fans already making their way beyond the perimeter into the surrounding track.
Leopards skipper Clifton Miheso tried to talk the fans back to their place behind the perimeter, but they would have none of it, and the match officials, led by centre referee Brooks Philips stood by their decision not to return to the game.
