Kayole Starlets risk dropping out of the Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League if they do not honour their fixture against Trans Nzoia Falcons tomorrow at the Agricultural Manour Centre, Kitale.
The chop is imminent for the Nairobi side, who are flirting with relegation after coach Joseph Sakwa registered his doubts to honour the match due to lack of finances.
The Kayole outfit have already forfeited two ties, dishing out free points to Kisumu All Starlets and Vihiga Queens and not availing themselves for the duel in Kitale will throw them in the tomb that has already claimed Vihiga Leeds and Nyuki Starlets.
Both Leeds and Nyuki failed to honour three league matches each and were consequently axed from the competitions. Sakwa said that during the first leg they did quite well and this second leg has just been full of challenges hindering them from performing well.
“The team has had an average display with the need to pull up our chances of avoiding relegation. This has been difficult considering we are facing accommodation and transport difficulties when going for matches,” intimated Sakwa. "We are set to face Trans Nzoia Falcons tomorrow but we are looking at a high possibility of handing our opponents a walkover since we can’t cater for the team's transport to Kitale."
So far, a total of 17 walkovers have been awarded after 20 rounds of the league. Four other WPL clubs are staring at the same fate if they do not put their houses in order. Eldoret Falcons, who are 10th on the standings, Makolanders, Mathare and bottom-placed Spedag risk dropping out of the premiership if they miss one more fixture each.
Kibera Girls Soccer Academy have missed one game with nine matches remaining in the current season.
“It has been challenging without the FKF grants. As a result, many teams lack the money to put together logistics of honouring fixtures and at club level, transport facilitation to training has been difficult,” said Michael Okango, Makolanders’ coach whose lineup forfeited ties against Wadadia and Kisumu All Starlets.
However, league leaders Vihiga Queens’ chief executive officer Michael Senelwa Ogada avers that clubs should find other avenues of sourcing for funds.
“We (clubs) should seek funding from corporate companies and individuals to sustain our teams. We don’t collect entrance fees at the gates to supplement our budgets, so we cannot solely depend on FKF’s kitty to stay afloat,” intimated Ogada.
In other fixtures, Trans Nzoia invite Wadadia today as bottom-placed Spedag host Kibera Girls Soccer Academy at Camp Toyoyo. Kisumu All Starlets have an encounter with Zetech Sparks at Moi Stadium.
