Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has come up with a six-point anti-hooliganism plan to bring sanity back to stadia across the country after the chaos witnessed in Shabana’s clash against Gor Mahia.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsUnfortunate scenes were witnessed prior to and during the Shabana -Gor Mahia match that was held on Sunday, 6 May, at Gusii Stadium.In the end, 72 fans were injured and attended to at different hospitals, at least according to FKF, while Gor Mahia estimates the number of those harmed to be above 100.Shabana gate collections from Gor Mahia match trumps prize for winning FKFPL titleIn a press briefing, FKF, through its CEO Harold Ndege, condemned the violence and confirmed that the matter is under investigation.“As previously communicated, FKF has engaged the Police to launch an official investigation into the matter. Internally, we are reviewing the match reports submitted by the relevant officials, and our judicial bodies will take appropriate actions based on these findings,” said FKF.Ndege was coy on when the investigations are expected to conclude but shared modalities that will be implemented to prevent future occurrences, summarised in six points.##NAJAVA_MECA_8912383##1. Fan EducationThe first plan is Fan Education. According to Ndege, this will be achieved through, among others, collaboration with clubs and media houses.“FKF will use all tools available at its disposal to run a civic education campaign to sensitise fans on safety, restraint and proper match day conduct,” said FKF2. Steward’s Engagement Secondly, the federation plans to engage stewards from both the FKF Premier League and the National Super League (NSL) in a training program aimed at improving fan management and enhancing security within the stadium.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Gor Mahia’s strategy that thrived in chaos against Shabana3. Security PolicyThe third plan involves the development of a security policy by the federation.“We are in the process of drafting an official security policy for match day security, which will guide the management of security across all league matches in the country.”According to the former Tusker FC defender, a draft of the policy has already been shared with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) who have a keen interest in the happenings in Kenya and on the host countries of both the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).##NAJAVA_MECA_8912384##4. Match day oversightThe fourth plan will see increased oversight on match day, especially in high-risk matches where the federation will also be involved.“As it has been traditionally done that the home team organises for the security of their matches, FKF will take responsibility for organising high-risk matches with the intention to supervise in order to ensure consistency and professionalism,” reads part of FKF’s statement.“Even though the matches belong to the clubs, the league belongs to FKF and therefore the buck stops with us when such cases occur,” explained Ndege.5. Fully implement club licensingHarambee Stars forward’s message after bagging historic treble with Welsh clubAdditionally, FKF intends to fully and strictly follow the guidelines of club licensing in regards to match venues going forward as the fifth measure.“FKF will conduct regular field and stadium inspections to ensure clubs are in full compliance with infrastructure standards as outlined in the club licensing regulations, a stadium infrastructure and safety are closely linked, and we are committed to raising the bar on both fronts,” the statement continued.This is after football fans and Gor Mahia blamed the federation for sanctioning the match to be played at Gusii Stadium despite different stakeholders raising security concerns and the suitability of the venue for such a high-risk match.##NAJAVA_MECA_8910044##6. Liaise with policeThe sixth and last step by FKF will be the formation of a multi-agency security team in collaboration with the police to combat hooliganism across all football activities in the countryIn conclusion, FKF preached the gospel of peace and sportsmanship, emphasising the importance of sports.“We urge fans to refrain from violence and uphold the spirit of sportsmanship that makes football a unifying factor,” he concluded.Details of Gor Mahia’s deputy patron Eliud Owalo’s meeting with Obi MikelAccording to Ndege, some of the security measures will take place starting with the Mashemeji Derby pitting Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, scheduled for Sunday, 11 May, at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
