Kenya softens stance on ban
In a dramatic twist of events, the Kenya Football Federation (KFF) has softened its stance on one of the key issues that led to a second ban from international football.
The embattled chairman of the KFF Alfred Sambu, who had insisted on a 20-team league, says they are willing to cut down on the number of teams to 18 as demanded by the world governing body, Fifa.
The east African nation was banned indefinitely on Wednesday for failing to respect signed agreements and for recurrent problems in its federation.
The Switzerland-based organisation warned the KFF that the suspension will remain until the implementation of all agreed reform measures aimed at improving Kenyan football management.
Reacting to Fifa's ban for the first time Sambu said they will sort out their problems by Friday in order to beat the Saturday deadline set by sports minister Maina Kamanda.
\"The Emergency Committee is meeting tomorrow (Friday) to deliberate the suspension and I'm sure we will be able to put our house in order, '' said Sambu.
\"These are harsh decisions but we must have a solution quickly and return Kenyan football to where it belongs.
\"I believe the issues will be resolved and Kenyans should have no cause for alarm.\"
Fifa first suspended Kenya for three months in 2004 for government interference but the situation was reversed after the country agreed to draw up new statutes.
Recent problems have included deadly fan violence, physical attacks on rival KFF officials, a match-fixing allegation and clashes over the formation of the KPL to run Kenyan football on a professional basis.
Kenya seek Fifa help over league
Kenya football authorities say they want Fifa's help to restructure the country's Premier League in a bid to comply with the governing body's conditions for lifting a suspension.
Fifa banned the east African country from international competition on Wednesday for failing to respect signed agreements and for recurrent problems in their federation.
World football's ruling body said the suspension would remain in place until further agreements were fully implemented.
Kenya's most popular sport is in chaos with two rival organisations running parallel Premier Leagues.
Fifa wants Kenya Premier League Limited (KPL) to run a league featuring 18 clubs but the Kenya Football Federation (KFF) has set up a company, KFF PL, to run a 20-team league.
The solution is a merger of the two organisations and Kenyan officials want Fifa to help resolve any differences.
The KFF wants more executive power, including the right to appoint a chief executive and chairman plus 40 percent control.
\"The committee was unanimous on the KFF's commitment to fully comply as communicated (by Fifa),\" chairman Alfred Sambu said after a KFF committee meeting on Friday.
\"But in pursuit of the said compliance, some provisions of the memorandum and articles of KPL appeared to contradict the Fifa statutes.
\"Under this apparent legal complexity, the committee resolved to forward the sets of documents to FIFA for perusal and guidance,\" he said.
The KFF meeting was held at a secret venue in Nairobi after rumours spread that delegates from the provinces, gearing up for the KFF's special general meeting on Saturday, intended to storm it and put their demands on the table.
Kenya sports minister Maina Kamanda said earlier this week he would give the KFF until Saturday to make their position known on the Fifa ban or he would take appropriate action.
