Good news for Gor as Premier League set to end prematurely
Gor Mahia are on the verge of being crowned the 2019/20 Kenyan Premier League champions, a day after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) announced that the country’s top-flight football league will end prematurely if a solution to the coronavirus pandemic is not found by May 15.
FKF general secretary Barry Otieno told Nairobi News that all the prevailing circumstances make it almost impossible for the current league season, which has nine rounds of matches left for each of the 18 teams, to be completed.
The league was suspended last month following a government ban on public gatherings and closure of all sports activities.
Otieno spoke two days after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) gave FKF until May 5 to decide and communicate on whether the current Kenya Premier League and Domestic Cup (Betway Cup) competitions will be played on or annulled.
“We have to consider the information Caf has requested, and we the government has issued a directive extending the dusk to dawn curfew to May 15,” said Otieno
“If by May 15 the government restrictions remain and Covid-19 situation will not have improved, then we will be forced to cancel the league season.”
The FKF laws on leagues indicate a season will be declared null and void if matches are stopped before the half-way stage.
The rules also dictate that where at least one of the clubs has featured in more than 75-percent of the total matches, a calculation shall be done on the total number of points earned from the number of games, multiplied by the total number of games supposed to be played divided by the number of games played.
Gor Mahia currently lead the standings with 54 points from 23 matches, seven points in front of Kakamega Homeboyz who have played a game less.
Tusker, Ulinzi, KCB and Leopards occupy the third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Chemelil and Sony Sugar are 17th and 18th on the standings and look set to be relegated even if the remaining league matches are not played.