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Kenyan giant Gor Mahia threaten to skip regional tourney

Xinhua, July 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya's premier league champions, Gor Mahia, on Wednesday threatened to withdraw from the annual Cecafa Kagame Cup regional tourney for lack of air tickets.

Confusion arose over who was to cover the costs of the tickets, with the five-time regional champions maintaining Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was meant to cater for them.

On their part, FKF president, Sam Nyamweya, categorically denied such an arrangement was in place.

Nicholas Musonye, secretary general of Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa), supported Gor's assertion that FKF was supposed to foot air travel to the regional showpiece that runs from July 18 to Aug. 2 in Tanzania.

"The federation had agreed to pay air tickets for us to travel on July 16, but they have told us they don't have money. It's impossible for us to travel since they told us earlier, we would have conducted a fundraising," Gor chairman, Ambrose Rachier, told local media.

"We have already informed (Nicholas) Musonye that we might not honor the tournament. He told us in our meeting, Cecafa would pay for everything, including food and accommodation, but the federations were to cater for the air tickets," Rachier added.

Nyamweya rejoined by asserting the arrangement to cater for tickets applied to the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup that features regional national teams as opposed to the club tournament.

He then challenged Rachier to provide the documented proof that he and fellow football leaders in East Africa had agreed as alleged to provide air tickets for clubs featuring in Kagame Cup during the president's regional meeting in Tanzania three months ago.

"I can swear there was no such agreement. Gor approached us to provide them with tickets and we told them we could not afford them. I want Rachier to show where it is written FKF agreed to do that. Our meeting agreed only to fund the tickets for national teams, not clubs. Clubs should bear their own responsibilities," Nyamweya told Xinhua later Wednesday.

Gor have until July 16 to raise the air fare or seek alternative means to avoid the embarrassment of pulling out from the regional tourney where they sit second on the all time honors list behind Tanzania's Simba who have won six titles. Endi