Mara Sugar FC manager Gilbert Ledama believes his team should be granted passage to the Mozzart Bet Cup Round of 16 following the abandonment of their match against AFC Leopards in Kisumu on Saturday.The round of 32 match was called off in the final minutes after chaos erupted when the center referee awarded AFC Leopards a late penalty. However, after protests from Mara Sugar players, the referee consulted his assistant and reversed the decision, disallowing the penalty.##NAJAVA_MECA_8763435##This led to fans storming the pitch, allegedly targeting the referee, who was rescued by police. A scuffle broke out between the two sets of fans, forcing the police to intervene, ultimately leading to the match being abandoned.The fate of the game will be determined by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Leagues and Competitions Committee in the coming week, as the federation has yet to release an official statement. The winner of this match will progress to face Compel FC in the Round of 16.Kenya’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup quest off to a positive start against UgandaLedama feels his team deserves to advance, citing that the match abandonment was caused by their opponents. “We’re not sure what will happen at this point,” he said.While Ledama is uncertain about the committee’s decision, he remains open to any outcome, including the possibility of a replay. “Maybe we’ll be awarded the game, or maybe the federation will order a replay. It depends on the referee’s report and what the committee decides. It’s not in our hands, so we wait.”When asked if he believes his team should be awarded the win, Ledama confidently expressed that Mara Sugar should move on to the next round.Former Nairobi United midfielder on why he chose Sri Lanka over Harambee Stars”In my view, if the rules are followed properly, we should be given the win. We didn’t cause the abandonment, and our fans didn’t invade the pitch. It seems like a straightforward decision to me, and we should progress to the Round of 16.”Reflecting on the match, he felt his team could have secured the win in regulation time if they had capitalized on their chances. “We should have won the game in normal time. We created opportunities but didn’t convert them. In football, if you don’t take your chances, it becomes difficult,” he concluded.The Mozzart Bet Cup round of 32 continues on Sunday, with the final match of the round between Shabana FC and Plantech FC set to take place on Monday at Gusii Stadium.Tusker FC suffer shock exit as magic of Mozzart Bet Cup lives on
