The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has revoked Gor Mahia Football Club’s Club Licencing Certificate with immediate effect.
According to FKF Chief Executive Officer and General Secretary Barry Otieno, FKF’s First Instance Body (FIB), upon the counsel of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), revoked Gor Mahia’s Club Licensing Certificate for being in breach of Article 60 of the CAF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations.
Otieno explains that any club applying for a license must prove that it has no overdue payables towards current and former employees as at 31st March of the year in which the CAF club competitions commence.
“If the Licence applicant has overdue payables as at 31st March of the year in which the CAF club competitions commence, it shall have a grace period of two (2) months to prove that by the following 31st of May, such overdue payables have been fully settled or deferred by mutual agreement with the creditor.” Otieno said in a signed statement.
It is alleged that in its application to the First Instance Body, the club, also christened ‘Sirkal’ declared that it had no overdue payables and indicated the existence of two agreements with two formers players, namely Sando Yangayay and Adama Keita.
The agreements signed by both parties had specific payment timelines and penalties. It is on the basis of the agreements that the club was granted a license to participate in the CAF’s Men’s interclub competitions in the upcoming 2023-2024 season, the statement explains.
The signed statement continues to clarify that in July 18, 2023, CAF notified Gor Mahia and FKF of a complaint in relation to a case that had been determined by FIFA, in which the complaint had been raised by one of the aforementioned players, Sando Yangayay, citing the club’s failure to honour overdue payments as per the agreement.
CAFthen invalidated Gor’s licence and suspended Gor’s participation in CAF’s interclub tournaments unless Gor settled the amounts owed to the player within 24 hours.
“CAF also directed FKF’s First Instance Board – an independent decision-making body set up by all CAF’s Member Associations to review clubs’ license applications – to investigate the breach and any other overdue payables. The FKF First Instance Body sought an extension of the deadline given by CAF and communicated to Gor Mahia officials that they had until 20th July 4pm EAT to settle the payments or enter into a new agreement. At the same time, the board communicated to Gor Mahia on a similar breach to payments due to two other former players – Adama Keita and Jules Ulimwengu – and the urgency of exercising the two options to resolve the matter ahead of the set deadline.” CEO Otieno said.
In a move aimed at finding facts and working towards an amicable solution to the impasse, The First Instance Board convened a meeting with Gor Mahia’s top leadership, with the objective of discussing the two options available to Gor Mahia to resolve the matter ahead of the deadline.
After the crisis meeting, regrettably, Gor Mahia was not able to honor the payments nor enter into new agreements with the aforementioned players within the set CAF timelines.
“The deadlines were set in view of the upcoming CAF champions league draw process scheduled to commence on Friday, July 21, 2023 and the fact that the Club was aware of the obligations ahead of the licensing process.” Otieno said, adding
“Considering the aforementioned, the FKF First Instance Body had no option but to take the painful decision to revoke Gor Mahia’s license. The decision was guided by Article 16 8(b) of the CAF Club licensing regulations which states that a license may be withdrawn by CAF or the licensor ́s decision-making bodies during a season if any of the conditions for the issue of a license are no longer satisfied; or the licensee violates any of its obligations under the licensor ́s club licensing regulations.”
