FKF Premier League defending champions Gor Mahia were set to face Mozzart Bet Cup winners Kenya Police in the FKF Charity Shield, a curtain-raiser for the 2024/25 season.
However, the eagerly anticipated match, set to be played on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, was unexpectedly canceled leaving fans in dismay.
What FKF Said
In a statement, FKF cited unavailability of a suitable match venue as the root cause for the match cancellation. The Federation had initially booked the Ulinzi Sports Complex, but the latter’s management wrote to FKF early this week confirming the stadium’s unavailability.
“This difficult decision has been necessitated by unforeseen challenges in securing a suitable venue to host the match. Despite our best efforts and extensive search, we have been unable to find a facility that meets the required standards for this prestigious fixture within the available time frame,” read part of the statement from FKF.
FKF President Nick Mwendwa disclosed that no suitable venue could be found in time as Nyayo and Kasarani are both under renovation.
“We all know Nyayo Stadium is not accessible for now. We don’t have any other venue that could have hosted the game. We booked Ulinzi Complex, but they communicated later on Tuesday saying the venue will not be available to host the season opener,” said Mwendwa.
“So, we had no option but to cancel the game. It is painful because the teams have been preparing to face off, but we must accept that we don’t have enough venues to host our matches,” added the FKF President.
What Gor Mahia Said
On their part, Gor Mahia confirmed that they would feature in a friendly match ahead of the start of their continental campaign.
“K’Ogalo will continue its intense training for the CAF Champions League preliminary round,” confirmed a statement from the club.
“To keep the team in a competitive shape, Gor Mahia are looking at the possibility of securing a friendly game against Tanzania’s Fountain Gate FC. The management will also consider the possibility of playing against Fountain Gate on Tanzania Day, which falls on Sunday, August 9, 2024. The hosts have expressed interest in playing against the Kenyan champions.” read part of the statement.
Opening Fixtures
Gor Mahia and Kenya Police are scheduled to kick off their FKF Premier League campaigns against FC Talanta and Nairobi City Stars respectively. These matches, initially scheduled to be played on Saturday, August 24, 2024, could be rescheduled to allow both clubs to feature in their respective CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup preliminary round matches.
While Kenya Police start life in Africa for the first time ever against Ethiopian Coffee, Gor Mahia will be up against South Sudanese side Al Merreikh.