The 2015 SportsPesa Premier League second leg tie between Gor
Mahia and AFC Leopards was shaping up into one of the most entertaining mashemeji derby of recent times until acts
of hooliganism brought the tie to its premature end in the 65th minute.
Gor versus AFC Leopards is always an explosive affair
regardless of each team’s form. Gor Mahia are currently riding high as the
unbeaten, run-away premier league leaders seeking their third consecutive
league title. Leopards, on their part, are struggling in position five of the
log , having last won the premier league in 1998.
This did not however stop the Ingwe supporters from pouring
into Nyayo National Stadium, almost matching the huge turnout of the green army
of Gor supporters, as both sets of fans sought to have their own say in the latest
display of Kenya’s greatest club football rivalry.
Gor’s superiority showed throughout the match as they
pounded the Leopards’ goal with crosses, some of which should have been
converted into goals by the likes of Michael Olunga and Khalid Aucho but for
keeper Lukas Indeche’s heroics.
Then in the 65th minute, AFC Leopards’ defender Jackson Saleh
handled the ball and the referee pointed to the spot straight away. It was a
clear and incontestable penalty but Leopards fans would not let Gor take it,
instead throwing objects on the pitch and causing the match to be abandoned for
security reasons.
I am beginning to wonder whether AFC leopard’s Jackson Saleh derives some kind of pleasure
from handling the ball in his penalty area. For heaven’s sake, how can one explain the defender’s handling of
the ball in the penalty area in three high stake matches in a row?
In June during Kenya’s first Afcon qualifier match against
Congo, Saleh denied Kenya a precious win
in Congo by unnecessarily handling the ball in the penalty area. Two weeks
later, he did the same against Ethiopia and contributed to Kenya’s elimination
from the CHAN qualifiers.
Whatever the reasons for Saleh’s repeated errors, the latest
handed Gor an opportunity to break the deadlock and pile more pressure on the
Ingwe den but as stated, Ingwe fans thought otherwise.
While Leopards fans cannot escape responsibility for causing
the tie’s abandonment, the incident also proved that we still have a long way
in reaching high standards of stadium security management that are a
prerequisite for a professionally run football league.
Although Gor fans behaved admirably during Ingwe fans
provocation, there had been some disturbance at half time and referring to the
disturbance, the match commissioner was quoted by Supersport explaining that he had asked the police to separate Gor
and Leopards fans by creating a buffer zone between them but his advice was
ignored.
Moving forward, whatever sanctions are ordered later by the
Kenya Premier League, all parties involved in Kenya’s football administration
must seek ways of ensuring that going to the stadium becomes a secure,
enjoyable, family-friendly experience for all football lovers in the country.
Hooliganism should not be allowed to thrive in Kenyan football.
No comments:
Post a Comment