Gor guarded, Ingwe elated as SDT decision sinks in

Kenya Premier League (KPL) giants Gor Mahia have said they will await the determination of a suit challenging their declaration by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) as the 2019/2020 champions before they can make any move.



Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) chairman John Ohaga in an unprecedented move on Tuesday seemed to have put a halt to Gor’s march towards a fourth consecutive title after he issued stay orders against a decision by the federation’s president Nick Mwendwa to end the season midway and declare K’Ogallo champions-elect.



“This application is hereby certified as urgent and be considered ex-parte in the first instance due to the nature of the reliefs sought,” read part of the ruling.



“Pending the hearing and determination of this application and/or the petition inter-partes, the purported decision of the respondents cancelling the Kenyan Premier League 2019/2020 season be and is hereby stayed.” ruled Mr Ohaga.



However, a measured Gor Mahia’s Ceo Lordvick Aduda in an exclusive interview with Kurunzi News on Wednesday refused to delve deep into the issue and only said that they would await the determination of the said appeal that was filed jointly by KPL side Chemelil Sugar and the Kenya Premier League company.



”This is a matter that is already in court so we cannot go into its merits. However, we are awaiting its determination so that we can know what next,” he said.



But on the other hand, K’ogallo’s bitter rivals AFC Leopards hailed the move terming it as justice to Kenyan football.



Through club chairman Dan Shikanda, Ingwe questioned Mwendwa’s hurry to end the league without any consultations and said the setback was timely for him.



“We welcome the ruling with both hands, it is something every club in KPL was waiting for and we are happy the court has given the clubs the justice they were asking for,” Shikanda told Goal.com on Wednesday.



“We should stop encouraging what FKF tried to do, how can someone wake up without even consulting with clubs or even stakeholders and goes ahead to end the league and also award Gor Mahia?



“Apart from Kenya, which other team has forwarded name for league winners to Caf?



“Why were FKF in a hurry to hand in the name? What is the issue for the name to rush?



“Furthermore, he made the decision alone, he never consulted anyone and it was wrong,” Dr. Shikanda added.



Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula whose team was a close-second to Gor also praised the tribunal’s decision saying it would guarantee fairness at the end.



As Homeboyz, we are very happy with the ruling because all we want and have been praying for is to make sure the league is played to the end so we can get a deserved winner,” Shimanyula said.



In ending the season, Mwendwa argued that the Coronavirus pandemic had made it impossible to have a smooth running of the season considering that there is also a curfew in place prohibiting social gathering hence no soccer.



In pronouncing Gor as champions, Mwendwa averred that 75 per cent of the league games had been played.



“We have football regulations that were approved by the FKF Congress which says, if a league had been played upo to 75 per cent, then the standings at the point that it is cut will be used. But if you had not played 75 per cent of matches, the standings at the mid season will be used.



“All our leagues had not played 75 per cent of matches so clearly the standings we are going to go with are the ones that were in place at the mid season for all of our seven football tiers, not for KPL alone. That means automatically Gor Mahia are champions and we are forwarding their name to CAF for the CAF Champions League next season…” he said..