West News Wire: After learning of suspicions of match-fixing in the national league, Kenya’s football organization punished 14 players and two coaches.
Six players from Zoo Kericho FC, which was booted from the Kenyan Premier League in 2021 after being found guilty of match-fixing by FIFA’s integrity unit, were among those suspended on Friday.
In order to conduct a proper investigation, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) announced that it has suspended individuals accused, including one player from the team currently winning the Kenyan Premiership, Tusker.
Football Kenya Federation issued a statement on its website claiming that it had “received private reports alleging the involvement of several players and officials in match rigging activities.”
“In an effort to protect the integrity of the league the federation has with immediate effect provisionally suspended these individuals pending the investigations of the matter by the FIFA and FKF integrity department.”
The organisation advised all FKF members to “avoid any sporting-related contact” with the suspended players and coaches during the suspension period.
In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan players one for life over an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches.
Five Kenyan referees were later suspended over the same scandal.
Kenya returned to international football in November after being suspended by FIFA in February 2022 over the alleged misappropriation of funds and appointed a caretaker committee.
In 2004, FIFA suspended Kenya for three months for government interference, but the situation was reversed after the country accepted to draw up new statutes.
