‘Six months without football is paining!’ – Nairobi City Stars react to ban extension

Nairobi City Stars have joined the list of teams and stakeholders who are against the decision by the government to extend the ban on contact sports until further notice.

The football fraternity suffered a huge blow on Friday after the government, through Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, confirmed only non-contact sport will be allowed to resume after months of suspension owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but in a phased manner.

“All contact sports [including football] will remain banned until further notice,” Mohamed said on Friday while issuing the final guidelines to sport's resumption. “However, all non-contact sports will reopen in a phased manner.”

City Stars, who earned promotion to the top-flight alongside Bidco United, have condemned the move by the government with club CEO Patrick Korir calling on the Ministry of Sports to rescind the decision.

“Honestly it’s not the kind of news we expected,” Korir told Goal on Sunday. “At this point in time, we expected to be given the all-clear to train and prepare for the league.

“We had shared our expectation with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) which was to resume training in mid-September for a possible resumption of games in late October or early November.  We believe this is what the federation shared with the Ministry of Sports.

“Remember there are international football games to be played in November and to get players in the best shape it was best for them to train with their clubs, and play competitive league games.”

“Obviously the Ministry overlooked that critical bit. It’s one thing to be cautious over coronavirus pandemic, but it’s another thing to be over-cautious. Life and football must move on even in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Korir continued: “Six months out without football is far too long and at this point, we call on the Ministry of Sports to relook at the recent announcement and allow training and games to kick off.

“Obviously, clubs are aware of the protocols shared out and will all want to abide by them as they get back to the pitch.”

On Saturday, FKF president Nick Mwendwa was seemingly irked by the decision which he said might lead to Kenya’s Harambee Stars being locked out of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“It was a strange decision and as FKF we are now left frustrated,” Mwendwa told Goal on Saturday. “I still don’t understand why we cannot play football in the country whereas politicians are moving recklessly around attracting huge crowds which are not even adhering to the laid down laws of Covid-19.

“I am yet to understand why the government took such a decision when we even wrote to them a week ago asking they allow teams to start preparations for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) new season, it is a move which I cannot explain and I don’t understand."

Mwendwa also wondered why Kenya was the only country in the East African region yet to resume football and wondered whether the Ministry of Sports knew what they are doing to solve the mess.

“Other countries have already started their leagues, Tanzania league is currently on [in fact it was played to the end and now has resumed], Uganda have set kick-off dates same as Rwanda, why is Kenya an exception, why can't we play football?” questioned an agitated Mwendwa.

“Does the Ministry of Sports know exactly what they are doing, especially when it comes to matters football? Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan have either come back or they are coming back, so why should Kenya wait for another one month to come back?”

The KPL was prematurely ended in mid-March after the first case of coronavirus was reported in the country, with FKF moving on to crown Gor Mahia as the champions for the 2019-20 campaign.