Former Football Kenya Federation President Sam Nyamweya, has urged Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to step in and end the impasse between the FKF and Premier League team Bandari FC, regarding the club’s participating in this year’s Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar.
This comes after FKF decided to prohibit the team from participating in the invitational event, citing concerns that it would interfere with the smooth operation of the premier league.
“On behalf of football stakeholders in the country, we are deeply concerned about the Football Kenya Federation’s drastic and uncalled-for stoppage of Kenya Premier League side Bandari FC from participating in the Mapinduzi Cup.
The Mapinduzi Cup is an annual football tournament held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, featuring teams from various East African countries. This decision by Waziri has had widespread criticism, as we believed that the FKF had overreacted and that the club should have been allowed to participate in the tournament.
“The federation’s actions are overly cautious and have had a negative impact on the club and its players.
This was a moment for Bandari to try their new signings and prepare for the second phase of the league. The federation should have taken more diplomatic measures to address the concerns and see the team participate in the tournament. This decision will also have long-term implications for future sports events and collaborations between East African countries.
They contend that the withdrawal of Bandari FC from the Mapinduzi Cup could be perceived as a lack of trust and confidence in the host country’s ability to ensure the safety and security of visiting teams, potentially affecting the willingness of other countries to participate in future events.
This is a spat in the face of the East African Community call for integration.
We call upon the ministry to address the issue and allow the team to participate in the tournament.”said Nyamweya
The competition was set to take place in Zanzibar from January 28 to January 13.
Bandari was in group C ,alonsgide KVZ FC, Yanga Sports Club, and Vital O—but was forced to withdraw from the annual competition.
In group B, Simba SC will face APR, Simida BS, and Jamhuri SC; in group A, the host Mlandege FC, Chipukizi United, Uganda Revenue Authority, and Azam FC are in action.