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The three clubs have a chance to represent Kenya in the Champions League and Confederation Cup but must comply with stringent rules by June 30 to get clearance
Gor Mahia, Tusker FC and Kakamega Homeboyz risk missing out on continental football next season due to tough Confederation of African Football (CAF) rules that they need to comply with by the end of this month.
As per a circular from CAF, all teams featuring in both the Champions League and Confederation Cup must have complied with stringent club licensing rules, which include audited annual financial statements, a declaration that there are no overdue payments towards current and former players and coaches as well as other clubs, a copy of the club’s coach and his assistants’ contracts as well as their coaching licenses.
Then there is the sticky issue of the need to have a women’s team. According to CAF’s directive, the clubs have to produce a letter from their member association confirming the existence of a women’s first team and that the team is registered in official competitions played at national, regional or local level and recognised by the federation.
They need to have this, alongside other documents, by June 30 before they are granted clearance to feature in the continental matches.
Gor, who lead the Football Kenya Federation standing with 67 points, will feature in the Champions League if they win the title same as Tusker, who are second, two points behind.
The brewers also have another route to continental football as they will qualify for the Confederation Cup if they beat Homeboyz in the FKF Cup final, with the Kakamega-based side also in with a chance, if they win it or if Robert Matano’s men claim the league and cup.
But with most Kenyan club’s run like briefcase entities, there three face a number of hurdles along the way to comply with the tough rules. For starters, Gor and Tusker do not have recognised women’s teams playing in any of the divisions while Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has laid claim to Kakamega Starlets who have just been promoted to the FKF Women’s Division One league.
“Kakamega Starlets is our team and finished top in the regional league so we have no problem on that aspect,” Shimanyula told Pulse Sports.
“We are a well-organised team; we owe no current or former player anything. Even on club licensing, we are among the few teams that have never had a problem with this issue. It is not the first time and we have no history of such,” he added.
Charles Obiny, who most recently served as Tusker CEO, also allayed fears of the brewers falling foul of the rules, hinting at the club using the CAF directive that allows participating clubs to submit an a written agreement with another entity who operates a women’s team.
“They have everything sorted. They can start a women’s team any time because they have the finances. There are also many women’s teams which they can even adopt. A lot of them are struggling and it is easy to acquire one. In fact, other sides have already approached them,” Obinyi said.
“The players get paid as early as 22nd of every month so there is nothing like salary arrears. On club licensing, Tusker have always been top in this area. It is a one-day thing and everything is there it’s just updating the documents for this season.”
K’Ogalo face the biggest test of the three given their recent history. The 19-time Kenyan champions were slapped with a two-year transfer ban and ordered to pay a fine of nearly Ksh1 million for failing to clear salary arrears of former players Ghanaian midfielder Jackson Owusu and Malian goalkeeper Adama Traore in 2021.
There has also been no evidence of a women’s team with FKF Women’s Premier League side Kisumu All Starlets rumoured to be the side the club is eyeing. However, club CEO Raymond Oruo says Gor will comply with the rules without much problems.
“The truth is that no one has a women’s team but the circular gives you a way out (agreement with an existing women’s team) which means it is not an issue,” Oruo told Pulse Sports.
“There are many women’s teams in this country, if you get an agreement, it is not going to be difficult. On payment of salaries, we have agreements with some former players who we are paying, some we have finished.”
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