BBC Sport
Skip to main contentAccess keys helpA-Z index

[an error occurred while processing this directive]
| Help

---------------
---------------
CHOOSE A SPORT
 
RELATED BBC SITES
Last Updated: Saturday, 10 April, 2004, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK
Kenya's Otieno wants unity
By Emmanuel Muga
BBC Sport, Dar es Salaam

Kenya's Musa Otieno
Musa Otieno has called for unity in Kenyan football

Kenyan captain Musa Otieno has warned that the row between the country's FA and the government may affect their 2006 World Cup and Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Otieno plays his football for South African side Santos and is in Tanzania for a Confederation Cup game with Mtibwa Sugar.

The ongoing dispute between the government and the Kenyan Football Federation (KFF) is over allegations of financial impropriety and mismanagement.

Football's world governing body Fifa have sent two envoys to Kenya in a bid to resolve the dispute.

Otieno however is more concerned about how the row will affect things on the pitch.

"The team starts World Cup qualifiers in June but all the news that I hear from home is to do with court cases and election politics, nothing about the team's preparations," Otieno complained to the BBC Sport website.

We need unity now, the government, the clubs and the KFF should come together
Kenyan captain Musa Otieno

"I know this will affect the team - as a captain I am very unhappy.

"KFF election were supposed to have been held in February and everybody expected that it would provide some lasting solutions.

"Kenya's football profile has been rising - we qualified for the Cup of Nations finals as well as making it to the group stages of the World Cup qualifiers.

"But the current situation is reversing this good trend, nothing else is being done at the moment, people are just playing politics."

The defender called for immediate end to the dispute in order to give the national team enough time to prepare for the qualifiers.

"We need unity now, the government, the clubs and the KFF should come together for the purpose of moving forward, their fighting won't do any good to our football," he concluded.


SEE ALSO
Kenyan elections delayed
08 Apr 04  |  African
Fifa in Kenya on Friday
06 Apr 04  |  African
Kenyan hits the top in SA
22 Dec 03  |  African
2006 World Cup draw
08 Dec 03  |  African



E-mail services | Sport on mobiles/PDAs

MMIX

Back to top

Sport Homepage | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Snooker | Horse Racing | Cycling | Disability sport | Olympics 2012 | Sport Relief | Other sport...

BBC Sport Academy >> | BBC News >> | BBC Weather >>
About the BBC | News sources | Privacy & Cookies Policy | Contact us
bannerwatch listenbbc sport