Reigning Kenya Women Premier League champions Vihiga Queens have sent out a heartbreaking appeal to football authorities in the country after being denied a chance of taking part in this year’s CECAFA Zone Qualifiers that will determine who will represent the region in the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League set to be played later this year in Morocco.Queens, who represented the region in the inaugural tournament held in Egypt after beating Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the finale of the 2021 CECAFA qualifiers, will not be able to defend their crown owing to the current FIFA suspension being served by the country.2021/2022 FKF WOMEN PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS UNBEATEN💪💪#VihigaQueens#LegacyMakers pic.twitter.com/qNBO8iEUzr— Vihiga Queens FC (@Vihigaqueensfc) June 12, 2022 As a result, the four time Kenyan champions was not listed as part of the eight teams set to take part in the 2022 CECAFA Zone qualifiers being held in Tanzania from 14-28 August, prompting the team to call on authorities to resolve the impasse that has been in place since November 2021 and that has seen Kenyan teams bear the consequences of the suspension.“We want to take this opportunity to wish all the participants of this year’s CAF Women Champions League – CECAFA Zone Qualifiers taking place in Arusha, Tanzania the best as they seek to replace us as the region’s representatives to the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League Finals Tournament that will be held in Morocco later in the year.Kenyan league champions Tusker FC omitted from CAF Champions LeagueAs the CECAFA region 2021 champions, we will not be defending the title due to the ongoing FIFA suspension on Kenya. It is the players who suffer most in such situations like the one we have found ourselves in, as through no fault of their own making, opportunities they have worked so hard to earn on the field of play are yanked away from them,” the club posted.“Our prayer is that what we are going through now does not affect any other club from this region in the future. We further pray that all the bodies tasked with the noble task of managing football in this region be they Governments, FAs and all else in-between find a way of working in harmony as it is the players who bear the brunt of their fights,” they appealed.##NAJAVA_MECA_6549398##“All in all, we appreciate CECAFA for demonstrating consistency throughout the process. We hope to return to this stage soon and compete with our peers as we progressively continue making more legacies. Once again, all the best to this year’s participants and may the best team win,” they concluded.
