The tussle between defending champions Gor Mahia and FKF Chairman Nick Mwendwa concerning who to represent the country on the CECAFA Kagame Cup has gone a notch higher.
In a letter written by the club to the FKF, the club has confirmed they will participate in the tournament as the defending champions.
“We write to confirm our participation in the forthcoming CECAFA-KAGAME CUP-2021 tournament slated to kick off in Dar es Salaam early next month”‘ reads the letter.
Initially, the Kenya Football Federation had forwarded the name of Tusker FC to take part in the tournament, a move seen by many football stakeholders as unprofessional and mean to frustrate football development in the country.
By virtue, K’Ogalo being the Defending Champions automatically qualify for the tournament irrespective of any outcome in the current ongoing Betking Premier League.
Unfortunately, the Kenya Football Federation deliberately forwarded Tusker FC to participate, a team that still do not have the title of the current Premier League.
In his statement to the press, FKF Chairman Nicke Mwendwa stated that CECAFA wanted a name and he settled for Tusker FC because they are currently on top of the league.
“We are now playing a new Kagame Cup since the previous one was canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic, so the time Gor were to represent the country has been overtaken by events, and instead, Tusker will go for the competition”, reads Mwendwa statement.
But in a rejoinder, Kogalo has asked the CECAFA organizers to allow them to forward the official list of players and members of the technical bench that will make the trip to Dar es Salaam.
“We will soon forward the official list of the players and members of the Technical Bench who will make a trip to represent the Country as had been directed by the Federation, being the Defending Champions”, reads the letter to CECAFA committee.
Tanzanian Azam FC and Young Africans SC have confirmed their participation. Other clubs include Altabara FC (South Sudan), Le Messager Ngozi FC (Burundi), APR (Rwanda), Express FC, KCCA FC (Uganda), Tusker FC (Kenya), KMKM SC (Zanzibar), Big Bullets FC (Malawi).