By Bonface OsanoFor a system that was barely structured and lacked proper safeguards for players, coaches and other stakeholders, the suspension, which ensures Kenya is excluded from international engagements and does not recieve development support, has exposed the soft underbelly of Kenyan football ecosystem.”It has been tough for most of us financially,” former Muhoroni Youth goalkeeper trainer Joseph Ongoro, told Mozzart Sport, “With no money in the game, and clubs struggling to stay a float, it is the us coaches, players and support stuff, who are badly hit.”Ongoro recently buried his mother and is yet to fully absorb the shock.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Fresh from helping Silibwet FC evade the chop in the National Super League (NSL), he says his efforts could not be properly rewarded for lack of finances.”We have been depending on grants from the FKF Caretaker Committee (now Transition Committee), but they are never remitted consistently.”When outgoing Sports Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohamed sent packing the FKF Executive for alleged maladministration and corruption and installed a Caretaker Committee in its place, hopes were sky high amongst certain quarters that a turnaround in the game for the better was nigh.Close to a year later, the body that was to streamline the FKF constitution and align it with the Sports Act before installing a new office through fresh elections, has since morphed into a Transition Committee having failed to deliver on its core mandate within six months.With the FIFA suspension still intact and the future unclear, those who put their money in the game are taking a back seat with some pulling out.##NAJAVA_MECA_6580666##Teens For Hope was once a vibrant club in the Nairobi County League, but immediately the FIFA action was announced, the team’s sponsor pulled out leaving it unable to sustain itself.”Some of us have been in football throughout our lives, all our qualifications are in football, but now we can’t earn from it,” said former Teens for Hope coach, Felix Oucho, who has since moved to Western Kenya in search for greener pastures.The former Mathare United and AFC Leopards player is regretting the decision to dissolve FKF Executive and blames his colleagues for failing to advise the government properly.”The government does not have enough resources to run football in the country, and the earlier we return to FIFA the better.”While imposing the suspension, FIFA gave conditions for its lifting including reinstatement of the FKF Executive led by president Nick Mwendwa and reopening of Kandanda House. Avire features in Misr Lel Makkasa defeatMeanwhile, several Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) sides including Kariobangi Sharks, Wazito FC and Mathare United have made it known that they will not feature in the league next season untill the football impasse is resolved.
