'A disgrace and frustrating' - Posta Rangers' Omollo against handing Bandari Caf berth

Posta Rangers head coach Sammy Omollo believes it will be a disgrace to hand Bandari FC the right to represent Kenya in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Dockers' technical director Twahir Muhiddin had opined Bandari should be given the chance to play in the continental assignment after winning the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Shield Cup last season.

"I am not supporting the idea to give Bandari a chance to play in Caf Confederation Cup because they do not deserve it," Omollo told Goal on Friday.

"They skipped their game against Sofapaka which was very unfair. How do you reward a team which failed to honour their match with a ticket to represent the nation? 

"Wazito, AFC Leopards, Ulinzi Stars, Posta Rangers and Sofapaka were ready to play, there should be a way of giving one of these teams an opportunity.

"Giving Bandari the ticket for the continental assignment will be a disgrace and frustrating."

To avoid the above, Omollo has proposed a way to ensure a deserving team gets a chance to play in Caf Confederation Cup.

"Players can be subjected to Covid-19 testing. Once they have been cleared they can play behind closed doors and the winner advances," Omollo advised.

"Alternatively, we can meet, especially the teams that honoured their matches and advanced to the next step and discuss the way forward. But not to be given the representative out of the blue."

The FKF annulled the league on April 30, crowning Gor Mahia and communicating their decision to Caf, a move that has been contested by the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

However, federation head Nick Mwendwa stated a decision will be reached on the Shield Cup depending on how the Covid-19 pandemic spreads.

"We want to know the final date from Caf and then we will continue with the Shield Cup because we can play on Saturday and Sunday," Mwendwa told Goal.

"We need two weekends to play Shield Cup and if Covid-19 stops us then we will not enter a team in the Caf Confederation Cup."

Caf had written to the FKF seeking to know how the local federation was planning to settle the matter concerning the suspended leagues.

AFC Leopards were Kenya's representatives in 2017 then Kariobangi Sharks won the Shield Cup in 2018 and made their maiden appearance in the tournament before surrendering the position to Bandari, who were appearing for the first time in the competition in the 2018/19 season as well.

In the 2019/20 season, AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks and Ulinzi Stars had progressed to the last eight of the domestic cup, as theKCB vs Wazito FC, Posta Rangers vs Gor Mahia and Sofapaka vs Bandari matches remained unresolved due to some teams failing to honour them.