Gor Mahia’s Vaz Pinto: Covid-19 has pushed things to deep end

Gor Mahia head coach Manuel Carlos Vaz Pinto has said the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has complicated matters even more in Kenyan football circles.

The 2020-21 FKF Premier League season suffered a blow a week ago after President Uhuru Kenyatta moved to suspend sporting activities in the country until further notice in a move aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Despite welcoming the move by the President, saying it will help curb the spread of the virus, K’Ogalo coach Vaz Pinto claimed stopping the league has created enormous complications for everyone involved.

“Stopping the league has not only physical but emotional effects on everyone involved,” Vaz Pinto told the club’s official website.

“The past few months have been very difficult for the clubs and everyone who works within the football circles, the pandemic has pushed things to the extreme and deep end.”

The Portuguese tactician, who is handling the Kenyan giants for the first time this season, has, however, said they have put in place elaborate measures to keep their players busy and it will be monitored during the break occasioned by the presidential order.

“We have an elaborate individual work plan for players that is controlled and monitored by the technical team,” Vaz Pinto continued.

“We hope this will help in keeping them fit as we eye resumption of activities once the dust settles.

“At this point, we must observe all guidelines as stipulated by the government – in relation to Covid-19. However hard or stressful they may be, we have to respect them and comply.”

On Thursday, AFC Leopards coach Patrick Aussems left for his native Belgium promising to come back once the sport returns.

“Due to the suspension of sports competitions I am going back home for a few days to visit family,” Aussems said on Thursday.

“Obviously I will be back when the league resumes. Let us hope it will be as soon as possible, take care and happy Easter to all football fans.”

In a recent interview with Goal, FKF president Nick Mwendwa assured they had opened negotiations with the government to have football resume.

"We have already talked to the Sports Ministry, and they are keen to implement a few things, they have asked us to write to them on what we intend to do to make sure Covid-19 does not spread and we will respond to them by the latest on Wednesday,” Mwendwa told Goal.

"We have also explained to the Cabinet Secretary of Sports the effects that will come with the league not being played especially when it comes to the national team since we have the World Cup qualifying matches starting in June and we want the team to be ready.

"What I can say, CS Amina [Mohamed] is very willing to allow us to resume the league if we follow the laid down Covid-19 regulations, and in my opinion, we must have our league going at the shortest time possible, we will write to her, and we hope she will give us a positive response.”

At the time the league took a break, Tusker are topping the 18-team table with 36 points from 16 matches while KCB are second on 30 points.