Kenya football arena has hit the headlines several times with accusations of cheating, results fixing and lack of accountability of football officials.
In recent years, the allegation seems to take higher twists just years after a Kenyan referee was banned from officiating a world cup match.
Marwa Range was dropped from last year’s World Cup list after a media sting exposed him OF accepting a $6,000 (about 5,100 Euros) bribe from a journalist posing as a Ghanaian football official.
Meanwhile, SportPesa Premier League outfit Kakamega Homeboyz have sacked head coach Paul Nkata over match-fixing allegations .According to Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula, investigations will continue on seven players alleged to be involved.
“We’ve already reported to the police with recorded evidence and written to the federation over the same. He has been using one of the players, George Mandela, to influence the other six with a figure between Sh50, 000 to Sh200, 000 per game,” he added.
Recently, former Harambee Stars defender George Owino Audi is at the center of a damning FIFA investigation report over alleged match-fixing.
Owino is said to have worked in cohorts with high profile international match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal to manipulate and influence the results of international matches involving Harambee Stars.
“The Purpose I’m going to bring you there is for business, but you have to remain loyal to me only. Remain free. Salary each month is Ksh3 million. If I say lose, you do as I say, or else you won’t see your salary,” read one of the emails Perumal sent to Owino before he joined an Australian club.
Kenya’s 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Tunisia on October 11, 2009 is among matches said to have been manipulated with an email addressed to Owino and two other players named Pascal and Julius giving them clear instructions on what to do.
“I want you to put a good fight for 25 minutes and concede one goal in the first half from 30-45 minutes, another at the 65th minute, and the third in the 80th.” Read a part of the email.
Earlier before the FIFA report, the defender had dismissed the allegations saying; “Let’s wait for FIFA to call me over the same then I can speak. For Now, I do not know anything. I am hearing it from you for the first time.”
These are some of the instances African football has been tainted black by some of the professionals conduct in the field.