Mathare United head coach Salim Ali has stated they understand the cautious steps that were taken by the government in regard to football return.
While non-contact sports have been allowed to resume after seven months of suspension, football, among other contact disciplines, will wait until a further directive.
Fans, club and coaches were all looking forward to Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed to give permission for the return of all sport but the Friday announcement means they have to hold on for longer, a move the Kenyan coach says they are supporting.
“We were all hoping that the Cabinet Secretary [Amina Mohamed] was going to give the green light for us to resume and get back to the pitch with Friday’s announcement,” Ali said as per Mathare United’s Facebook post.
Many had expected football will be given the green light to resume but the government stated actions will remain suspended until further notice“It has been tough not being able to get back to work and do what we love. But as a club, we understand and appreciate the government’s cautious approach," he added.
“The signs are, however, that the end to this difficult period is near and that the players and fans will be able to enjoy the beautiful game once again.”
As Ali sounded cautious in his assessment of the recent directive, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa looked downrightly dejected by the Ministry of Sport's move.
“I am yet to understand why the government took such a decision when we even wrote to them a week ago asking they allow teams to start preparations for the Kenyan Premier League new season, it is a move which I cannot explain and I don’t understand,” Mwendwa said.
“We wrote to the government and told them our plans to resume the league, we wanted teams to start training late this month and then the new season was pencilled to kick-off on October 23, we even outlined the measures we will put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, but surprisingly, the government never came to us, they only decided to issue a statement on Friday without replying to us.”
Mohamed’s sports resumption directive puts into uncertainty the Kenyan Premier League/National Super League play-off between Vihiga United and Kisumu All-Stars.
The first leg had been slated for Wednesday, October 7, 2020, while the second was set to be played on Sunday, October 11, 2020.
