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KENYA
NIGERIA
I am not a man who points fingers.
Even in my own Finlays side, I never do so, be it after a mistake has been made or there is a major problem. I like to work on the collective and treat a team sport as one.
This season in the FKF Division one, we have had many problems, plenty.
Officiating or lack of it, poor decision making by the relevant management organs, unplayable surfaces, disorganisation.. It is a long long list.
But even if you ask FKF, we as Finlays have never complained. We have moved on with our lives and tried to play our football.
Venue change
Over the past weekend though, what I saw was really bad, the worst I have witnessed in my football life. It was a shock and dissapointing that such things can happen in the light of day.
On Saturday 15 Septenber 2012, we were to take on Rush FC in Kakamega town.
We took off from base early and while on the way to Kakamega, we got a call from FKF, informing us that the match venue, the Bukhungu Stadium was unavailable and thus we would have to make do with the kakamega High School grounds.
Since we were already on our way and we do not like whining, we took in the decision without much issue.
But on reflection, it was a decision we have ended up regretting.
No boundaries
I like the Kakamega High ground, it is big, and flat, much better than what is there are Bukhungu.
However, the problem is that there is no boundary betwen the playing pitch and the outside standing area. It is just an open field which is always bound to be abused.
Anyway, the match started well, with both sides playing at a good tempo and with good faith, but then the bad decisions started.
One of our wingers beat the Rush full-back and whipped in a cross which was slotted home, it was a good goal and well played, but then the trouble came.
With the referee and his officials walking back to the halfway line, the match commisionar stalled and declared that it was not a goal and that the ball had been out of bounds, thus no goal.
Asleep
In shock, we protested and were ignored, but in the spirit of the game, we decided to move on; but that was just the beggining of our misery.
In the second half, two of our players got injured and while in the process of trying to replace them, we were in for a rude awakening. The match Commisionar was missing.
After asking around while playing with nine men, we were told that he was in his car and when I went there, I found him asleep.
What went on afterwards was a twenty minute tag of war, where some of the words that were said are not even fit to be spoken among men. Even after I got him back pitch-side, he was uncooperative.
It was a really hurtful exeperience and one I would not wish on anyone.
Fairness
Sadly, it is not the first time I have heard it happening in that area.
It was a bad experience, and to this point I am still very angry, and at the end of the day, points to what ails Kenyan football. Lack of fairness and corruption of the highest order.
We were in Kakamega town, home of FKF Div one zone B leaders Homeboyz and that is why we were treated the way we were. Did they have anything to do with what happened, I do not know.
I understand that everyone wants their team in the top flight next season, but let us do it fairly.
Be it Nakuru AllStars, Finlays, Homeboyz or Agrochemicals. We need people to be fair to each other because at the end of the day, what goes around comes around.
I am trying to move on, but honestly, still very angry.
