Zoo FC owner Ken Ochieng has defended Mount Kenya United chairman Bernard Musomi after they gave Gor Mahia a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) walkover.
Ochieng said that given his years of experience of running a footballer club, no one should squarely get the blame when tough times hit a club. On Thursday MKU failed to travel to Machakos, thus giving the Green Army a league walkover.
“I was really touched when I spoke to my friend I met through football, one Bernard Musomi, over the walkover his team gave out in a KPL match that pitted them against Gor Mahia FC. Mr Musomi's story is one I can fully relate to as I have faced similar situations as regards my team in the 10 years I have been involved in football. Maybe we have never given a walkover but there are times things were so difficult we nearly did,” Ochieng was quoted on the club's Facebook page.
Zoo and MKU will face-off at Kericho Green Stadium on Sunday, so that is another reason Ochieng is following them closely.
“My conversation with Mr Musomi revealed the harsh reality that faces many football clubs in this country from the KPL to the lowermost league. Recently during my late dad's lengthy ailment and eventual demise, I had to make a tough choice of whether to continue supporting my team or pay his huge medical bill.”
"Inevitably, the performance in my team plummeted and we are currently sitting a position higher than Mr Musomi's team, who incidentally we are playing next this weekend,” the lawyer added.
The two clubs alongside Kariobangi Sharks and Nzoia Sugar are among those that were promoted to the KPL at the end of the 2016 season. Their promotion caused intense debate and controversy as the league managers claimed that having 18 teams in the top-tier was not maintainable.