The Federation now says the top-flight will not resume while they will make sure the domestic cup is played to the end
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season will be scrapped and FKF rules will be used to declare the winner for the current campaign.
On Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) gave the local federation eight days to inform them of the fate of the 2019/20 domestic season, including the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and the FKF Shield Cup.
The season took an abrupt break on March 16 owing to the coronavirus outbreak and until now, there has been no definite date of return.
In a letter dated April 26, Caf wrote to the federation inquiring on the way forward.
“We would like to enquire about the current situation of your national league/National Cup [ranking, number of pending matches, etc.] as well as the strategies you intend to apply to finalise those competitions be it through completion or annulment,” read a letter to the federation signed by Caf General Secretary Abdelmounaim Bah and obtained by Goal.
FKF CEO Barry Otieno has now confirmed to Goal the league will not resume because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rules in the Federation book will be used to decide the winner and also the teams to be relegated.
“We will have to end the league now because the Covid-19 pandemic is still with us and Caf are asking for our response in eight days,” Otieno told Goal on Wednesday.
“In a nutshell, the league will not resume and we will use the rules in FKF books to declare the winner and teams to be relegated. We will pass the same to KPL so that they can implement the same.”
Gor Mahia who are currently leading the 17-team table standings on 54 points, will likely be declared the champions if FKF uses clause 2.6.1 of the promotion and relegation of teams.
The clause says where the league format due to circumstances of force majeure fails to be completed within the season, the league winners shall be determined in two ways.
Clause 2.6.1.1 states that “Before each and every club has completed its first-round fixtures the league shall be declared null and void.”
Clause 2.6.1.2 states: “Where all the clubs in the league have completed the first-round fixtures but less than 75 per cent league games have been played, the table standings at the end of the first round shall be considered as the final table standings of the league.”
With ten matches to play in the KPL, 68 per cent of the games have been played, meaning the first leg table standings will be used to declare Gor Mahia champions.
In the relegation battle, Chemelil will join already relegated Sony Sugar in National Super League (NSL) next season, while Kisumu All-Stars will battle with the third-place finisher in NSL in the promotion/relegation play-offs.
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Asked on the domestic Cup, Otieno told Goal: “We will have to see what to do with the domestic Cup because the tournament had reached the quarter-final stage and it will be unfair to cancel it.
“We will make sure the tournament is played to the end so we find the rightful winner.
"All the teams in the competitions have worked hard to reach where they are and it will be unfair to cancel the same, it will be played to the end and we will discuss with the teams to see how to go about it.”
Source : Football News, Live Scores, Results & Transfers | Goal.com
FKF to Caf: KPL will be cancelled and FKF rules used to declare winners – Otieno
FKF to Caf: KPL will be cancelled and FKF rules used to declare winners – Otieno
