FKF-PL: Team that tops by June 30 to represent Kenya in CAF Champs League

The team that tops the FKF-Premier League by June 30 will represent Kenya in the CAF Champions League.

According to Football Kenya Federation (FKF), the move is occasioned by a strict CAF deadline that requires them to submit the name of the representative by June 30th.

“The federation is in receipt of communication from CAF directing that FKF submits Kenya’s representative for the CAF Interclub Competitions latest June 30, 2021,” read the statement in part.

The Kenyan league had been halted for close to two months in the wake of a government ban on sports, aimed at arresting the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Consequently and in consideration that the FKF Premier League calendar may not be concluded by the aforementioned date, due to the disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic, the FKF and the Competitions Committee in a meeting on May 7 2o21 decided that the FKF-PL representative in the CAF Champions League shall be the team at the top of the table as at June 30, 2o21.”

The announcement by FKF is set to spark a fierce battle between the league’s top dogs Tusker FC, AFC Leopards Bandari, and champions Gor Mahia as they jostle for the coveted slot.

Last year Gor earned the nod in the wake of a season halted midway thanks to Covid-19.

However their lackluster performances so far this season means they have their work cut out as they rank sixth on the log, 12 points adrift of league leaders Tusker albeit with two games in hand.

KCB is the only team amongst the current top five that has not tested continental football as AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks, and Bandari have participated in the past four seasons – either in the CAF Champions League or CAF Confederations Cup.

Tusker last played at the continental extravaganza in 2016 following their domestic double under Ugandan tactician Paul Nkata.

Gor Mahia has been Kenya’s only representative since then even though their performances have been wanting more so in the CAF Champions League.

The federation has not yet announced the criterion that will be used to select its representatives in the CAF Confederations Cup as there is no clear winner of the Shield Cup who directly makes the cut for the event as it was halted before its quarter-finals stage owing to the government directive that stopped all sports activities in the country in mid-March this year.

Tags:

FKF PL CAF Champions League CAF Confederation Cup FKF -Shield quarters

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