Kenya's Gor to petition CAF to punish Tunisian giants Esperance

NAIROBI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan league champions, Gor Mahia FC, said Tuesday they will petition the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take disciplinary actions against Tunisian giants, Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

This follows their ill-tempered return leg of their 2018 CAF Champions League first round clash in Tunis last Sunday where the east African side are accusing the home team and two-time continental club champions of violence, intimidation and racist chants.

Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday after returning from their 1-0 loss that saw them exit the top tier African club competition by the same score on aggregate, Gor coach, Dylan Kerr, sensationally charged he was physically assaulted by an Esperance official.

"I was slapped by an Esperance technical bench member who was brave enough to do it while enjoying protection from a couple of big men during the match," British national Kerr alleged when speaking to local reporters.

He called on his club chairman, Ambrose Rachier, to obtain a copy of the Match Commissioner's report to establish whether match officials captured the unsavoury treatment meted out on his players, technical bench and the handful of travelling supporters at the Rades Olympic Stadium.

Kerr, who led Gor to their record 16th domestic title after joining the team mid last year, further accused the fourth official - the match referee charged with the duty of maintaining order during games - of cowering under the intimidating atmosphere thus failing to take control of proceedings.

"The ball boys were firmly instructed not to give my players the ball despite having two by their side. A member of Esperance technical bench occasionally stepped into the field and was not reprimanded by the referee.

"Even the policemen who are tasked to offer protection and security hurled bottles and other stuff on us," he claimed.

Kerr lamented that in his coaching experience across four continents, he had never come across such chaos saying the club will write to CAF to appeal against the barbaric behaviour his charges and supporters were subjected to.

He urged the continental governing body to emulate their European counterparts, UEFA, who are on the verge of expelling French side, Olympique Lyonnais from the second-tier Europa League after the team was accused of similar acts during their home tie against Russian outfit, CSKA Moscow.

"If the perpetrators of the fiasco are left to go scot free, then it will be a norm in African football. If the act is not curtailed then it will happen again and again. CAF should rise and set precedent like UEFA," Kerr underscored.

With his team relegated to the play-offs of the second-tier CAF Confederations Cup for a chance to make the group stages of that tournament, Kerr was uncommitted on whether Gor will make a similar push to excel as they did in the Champions League.

He held their performance in the 0-0 home stalemate on March 8 cost them a place in the lucrative group stages of the Champions League as he embarks of lifting the spirits of his players who gave their all in what was a cauldron in Tunisia.

Since Sunday, Kenyans on social media have slammed the violence against their most decorated club with lurid claims by those who were at the Rades dominating discussion.

Besides assault, Esperance fans were accused of directing vile racist taunts at the Kenyans besides pelting the away supporters and players with projectiles with Esperance official Twitter handle denying any of the incidents took place.

CAF will sturdy the Match Commissioner's report before deciding whether further action will be taken against the record Tunisian league champions with sanctions if found guilty, ranging from competition or stadium bans as well as heavy fines. Enditem