Zoo Football Club was a beautiful story that emerged from a region known predominantly for producing world class athletes, the greater Rift Valley, Kericho County precisely. Formed in 2009 with an aim of identifying and promoting local talents, the team’s path to the top, as a community outfit, was always going to be challenging, but the will to succeed was always in abundance.On two occasions, in 2014 and 2015, Zoo Mbaya, as diehard fans nicknamed the club, were denied promotion to the Kenyan Premier League on technicalities, yet, when it finally reached the table of men in 2017, it was also on another technicality, a controversial expansion of the top-flight to 18 teams. The dream finally came true!For a couple of seasons before trouble courted them again, Zoo dazzled; they played resolutely, and were, even at one point, christened, the giant killers. Picking a point at the ever rainy Green Stadium in Kericho was a no mean task for most visiting teams. However, the most beautiful thing about Zoo was how the club was so close to the heart of the local community; they were Zoo and Zoo were them.Amongst players from that generation who burst into the limelight was Nicholas Kipkirui, who later moved to giants Gor Mahia, where he was a cog in the team’s continental football renaissance.##NAJAVA_MECA_6871357##Unfortunately in May 2021, the Football Kenya Federation, FKF were directed by FIFA, the world’s football body, to relegate Zoo to the lower leagues over rampant match fixing. But, instead of dropping to the lower most FKF Division 1, for some mix-up in the interpretation of the FIFA directive, Zoo moved to the second tier National Super League, NSL. To make things clear, FIFA, while giving a stern warning, further directed in June 2021 that for the 2022-23 season, the club must begin from Division 1. “Should the first team of Zoo FC not have been relegated to the FKF Division One upon the initiation of the 2022/2023 season, Zoo FC shall be automatically expelled from all national and international competition,” the Zurich-based body warned.As they begin afresh this coming Saturday as they host Mayenje Santos FC in the FKF Division 1, Zone B at the Kericho Green Stadium, Zoo FC chairman Ken Ochieng’ told Mozzart Sport that, “We’ve learnt our lesson.” Out goes Pamzo, in comes Baraza as Police rejig Technical Bench”We want a new beginning, all that happened in the past is gone. We’re going back to our roots with the aim of developing our community through football. We reported all the players who put us in this situation to the FKF and FIFA, and we hope action will be taken against them,” Ken added.The lawyer by profession is confident in the squad he has and is braced for the new season. “I’ve managed to retain a good number of players from the last two seasons with only one player leaving.”He’s calling on the community to rally behind the team. “This is their team, they’ve supported us before, and as we begin this journey we call upon them to hold our hands again.”
