FKF backs teams which have withdrawn from CECAFA Club Cup

By Reuben Olita 

FOOTBALL Kenya Federation on Sunday backed clubs which have withdrawn from this year’s CECAFA club championships due to kick off in Sudan on Tuesday.

“FKF fully supports Tusker from withdrawing from the tournament and other member countries for advising their teams against taking part in the regional c tournament in the war torn Darfur.

It is good to note that Tusker’s decision to pull out of the tournament was done in full consultation between the club’s top officials, the government and federation,” the federation president Sam Nyamweya said.

He said it was unanimously agreed that the security condition in Darfur, a region which has been in a state of humanitarian emergency since 2003, was not a safe place for our team to play in.

CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye accused FKF of attempting to sabotage the operations of the association.

But the war between the FKF and CECAFA seems endless with the former’s chair adding his voice to the brewing storm between the two football governing bodies.

CECAFA have also barred South Sudan champions El Nasr who had earlier on withdrawn their participation and rescinded the decision.

The withdrawal came despite safety assurances by Sudan FA Secretary-General Magdi Shams Eldin.

FKF chairman Sam Nyamweya confirmed having received the withdrawal request from Tusker and agreed that the issue of security was matter of deep concern.

'We cannot allow our representatives’ to play in the region considered unsafe, and it’s up to CECAFA to look for alternative venues conducive to all clubs," he added

GROUPS

A - El Merikh (Sudan), APR (Rwanda), Vital’o (Burundi), Elman (Somalia)

B - Express (Uganda), Rayon (Rwanda), Ports (Djibouti), Electricity Sport (Chad)

C - El Hilal (Sudan), URA (Uganda) and Al Shandy (Sudan)