KPL to have 18 teams in 2016
Football Kenya Federation and the Kenyan Premier League have finally agreed on an 18-team league. KPL have opposed this idea since past chairman Sam Nyamweya first pushed the idea in 2014. Kogalo Chairman Ambrose Rachier has been foremost in opposing the idea. The issue as far as KPL is concerned was the fact that each club would get less sponsorship money. The tow parties finally agreed after a grueling five-hour meeting.
Sports Disputes Tribunal chairman John Ohaga also provided the assurance that all stops will be pulled to ensure that the league kicks off by February 11, and that the only issue remaining is to harmonise the new league’s budget.
“This is now behind us. It has been a gruelling journey, but there is now a clear direction about this issue. Both parties have agreed to institute a league comprising 18 teams, and the only pending issue is working out the exact figures. For this, both parties have agreed to send in their accountants tomorrow to agree on the financial details. Both parties have however agreed to cut costs and come up with a realistic figure which will be paid by the federation for the additional teams,” said Ohaga who is a former member of the Kenya national rugby team.
With four additional matches, depth will become critical due to increased injuries and more frequent games.
Meanwhile, the FKF Appeals committee is on Wednesday expected to make a ruling regarding the future of Sofapaka, Thika United and Muhoroni Youth in the top flight league. The three clubs were struck off the list of Kenyan Premier League clubs last month for failing to comply with club licensing rules.
Gomalotto
Meanwhile GomaLotto will launching will be tomorrow Radisson Blue hotel in Nairobi. The event kickoff is at 6pm and only guests with cards are allowed. This according to club official Judith Nyangi,
Nyangi also noted that all players have reported to training with the exception of Walusimbi who is on national team duty. The Ugandan international has had a stellar tournament at the ongoing AFCON while playing in his traditional left back position. With Eric Ouma gone, Walusimbi could return to that position. Gor Mahia will leave for Uganda on February 2 and play Ondurapaka on February 4.
Whatever their narrow interests there were at play, for me it means four more matches to enjoy for my beloved club. Agoyo tick mowuok Busia nyaka Sirare. And no issues of fatigue since we have a large enough squad to go round. I second.
Interesting nobody is talking about quality of the players in the league yet this is our undoing.
If financing is the key issue why not go for 10 club league with the top 4 vying for play off championship ? Its better for everybody and all the clubs get to bite a bitter chunk of the sportpesa cake in return for better player welfare, stiff competition and improved quality.
Secondly, betway can then be given the right to sponsor the 22 team bigger and much more grassroot national league football.
And finally, does it mean the 3 relegated team due to licencing requirements are back on top flight football ?
@Jakoyo, Sofapaka, Thika and Muhoroni will await the ruling due next week on Wednesday. If their appeals succeed, then we will have an 18 team league. Should it flop, then we will have 15 teams then increase gradually to 16 teams in 2018, 17 in 2019 1nd 18 in 2020( a logic I have failed to grasp from Mwendwa. If they can accommodate 18 this season should the appeals pass, why must they go for the gradual increment for three years in case the tribunal rules against the three instead of adding all the three at once next year? Back to the present, from what I read elsewhere, Thika and Muhoroni are likey to succeed in their appeals. Sofapaka still cannot prove they have a local bank account(they have one in Kinshasa) and face an uphill task to succeed. So we may end up with 17 teams this season.
What was the rational of adding more teams in the league? So whatever the number this will not dilute the fact that we have a management issue in all areas about football. KFK should prioritize on stadia improvement,enhance youth structure, they should come up with a formula on how to combat hooliganism.There a lot of things which needs be captured to professionalize the league, not to come-up with lope sided programs that will not benefit Kenya as far as football standard improvement is concerned
can’t wait to watch the new boys play, weakends without kogalo matches are very boring
What is the problem with 18 teams? Who remembers the days of wakina Mulamba, Dawo, Francis Kadenge whe the league had 22 teams with a shoe string budget. I remember my Ingwe used to travel to Kisumu on Friday to play Kisumu Posta on Saturday and then on Sunday travel to Kakamega to play Motcom
@Ingo those were the good old days of the Kanduyi jinx for Kogalo and the Kisumu jinx for Ingwe. And both teams struggled to win at Gusii stadium because those mad Shabana fans would threaten opposing players. So aside from playing on consecutive days, players had to content with very hostile fans.
Yawa weche Gor tek manadeni. Nyangi says Ottamax suspended for andiwo misconduct. Then today Rachier is quoted saying that he is still part of the technical bench and did not travel to Sudan not for misconduct but because of budgetary consideration, Who do we trust here and who is the official club spokesperson?
Opting for quantity rather than quality. 1) The number of league matches will increase by 132 games from 480 to 612. 2) The extra money should have been chanelled at improving the prize monies which for the Kenyan tournaments are low and don’t spur competition.Currently league winners get Kes.4.5M,GoTv Kes.2M and Top 8 Kes.1M.If you divide this amongst a very lean team of 40 persons 30players, 5TB and 5 officials you get kes.112,500, 50k and 25k per person for winning the league, GorTv and Top 8 respectively. A VERY LOW VALUE PER PLAYER. Compare with the MVP of kes. 1m yet the gap in player quality in the league is negligible.Muhoroni Youth gave each player 3k for winning the Top 8. Winning the Kenyan league should earn the winners not less than kes.10M with nos. 2 to 5 get prizes of e.g kes.4M,3M,2M and 1M. GoTv improved to kes.5M. You teams don’t see the value of competing for position 2 if not the championship itself, many opt out of GoTv etc.
@musymo to my knowledge suspended means temporary out of… Meaning he is out of service for a period of time so AR is in his right senses further more no one is sucked so no one is contradicting the other
@Musymo,
You are right on. Suspension is not expulsion.
What is important winning Titles,not only the local ones but regional and continental ones NOT having the detractors/royal guards like Ottamax and Gatusso.Suspension or expulsion sio winning anything. Why pay Ze Maria kes.570k per month,not counting his Brazilian string alongs,extend his contract and not give him a free hand with the clear targets above.If Ottamax is that good MAKE HIM HEADCOACH and pay him the kes.570k per month bora TITLES zikuje.Yawa Jakom, another term of 4 years bila a regional or continental title.I thought communications are just public announcements of resolution of EC meetings.GM’s EC and TB/players are so few yet there is more miscommunication, pulling in different directions than the Ministry Of Education.
Mwendwa is suffering from the Big man syndrome. In sawa tu.
Ottomax must be a very good coach or is simply full of himself. Gor ya 2017 should win league early and focus on 2018 champions league