Former AFC Leopards CeO Richard Ekhalie slams Ingwe fans over derby boycott as fans remain defiant.Boycott it is.
Former AFC Leopards CeO and soccer administrator Richard Ekhalie has appealed to AFC Leopards fans to reconsider their intended derby boycott.
According to Ekhalie, AFC has beef with FKF but not Kogalo. Denying Gormahia the gate revenue is punishing the wrong person.Plus stealing the bravado from the rivalry of fans at the derby to punish FKF is knee jerk reaction. Look at the sponsors and think twice. Look at the bigger picture. Be the bigger people. You are the team busy scouting for sponsorship and you now want to annoy sponsors to satisfy your selfish egos. The derby is the biggest deal to sponsors. Be clever.”said Ekhalie.
Ekhalie goes further to advice that
“The club also losses a rare opportunity to sell merchandise and build a fan base.It’s therefore selfish just because you are the away team. Two wrongs don’t make a right.” he added.
However his thinking came under sharp criticism from several Ingwe diehards fans.
Mr Asava Kadima a former SG of the club did not mince his words. He stood in solidarity with the fans and said “hatuendi na hatuendi“.
The same was echoed by Robert Situma popularly known as Omusawa Nanyende Original who blasted Ekhalie for being a fence sitter and a plastic fan who abandoned AFC long ago.
“Ekhalie is just a fence sitter who cannot advice us on matters AFC. Ekhalie should start by attending matches to have a clearer acquaintance with the goings on in our matches. On the boycott issue, he is the least qualified person to advice the fans. Hii derby sisi hatuendi fullstop ” a furious Situma said.
The derby boycott emanates from what Ingwe fans termed as an unfair treatment by current FKF regime. Ingwe was docked points, fined 500 000ksh and fans suspended from home matches after a fracas in Kakamega during Homeboyz vs Afc leopards match. A move Ingwe fans believed was ill intended to hurt the emerging leopards.
Below is a communique from club CoC Kuka Imbenzi calling on all fans to boycott the derby.
Afc leopards fans will stay at home during Gor Mahia vs AFC leopards encounter on Sunday~Kuka Imbenzi.
Dear members and fans
Branches and Afc Leopards SC fans have sacrificed a lot to ensure they get to the stadium for the love of the game… On the other hand FKF has done absolutely nothing to encourage fans back to the stands.
They have failed in professionalizing and marketing our league…
Instead they are keen on punitive penalties to us .
Nothing much is done to rogue referees,who are killing the beautiful game with their fixed and biased officiating.
To this End we ask our members/fans not to attend the #MashemejiDerby to send a message to FKF that football without fans is not football.
Boycott #MashemejiDerby stand with Leopards through Paybill 196464
🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
Boycott #MashemejiDerby stand with Leopards through Paybill 196464
Former club chairman Mathews Opwora throws his weight behind the boycott.
Club CoC Mr Kuka Imbenzi received a rare support from former club chairman Mathew Opwora. Mr Opwora termed the boycott as timely and the right way for AFC Leopards to show FKF that it is displeased by the way soccer is run in Kenya.
“Matters AFC, being given partial lifting of the ban because Nyolos want nyoloconized money😛😛
I agree with @~Franklin Imbenzi stand FANS BOYCOTT!!…the Nyolos at FKF have only interested in AFC money ..What Regulations in Sports Act or FIFA Regulations being cited by these Nyolos at FKF of “partial lifting of a ban”..niliwambia nyinyi Nyolos use Luyias as tissue papers in everything they need.. including maandamano..” Opwora noted
The club Ombudsman Kuka Imbenzi remained adamant that Ingwe fans will stay at home. A move that has been supported by all the AFC leopards branches.
“We shall not attend the derby,we were banned and why should they remove it partially,reason is they have invited Azam to try and pitch for them to get media sponsors.it will not be business as usual. The same team have frustrated the office,they declined registering the 6 youth players until today.” reiterated Kuka Imbenzi.
Will leopards fans make real their threats? Time will tell
