Crowd trouble ends Sharks, Mombasa duel for promotion

By  Toto Arege

Correspondent

NMG Sport

This high-stakes Football Kenya Federation Premier League promotion play-off was meant to showcase the country’s football as two teams that played in different tiers last season fought on the field for the right to be included in the most elite of levels this season.

Kariobangi Sharks, who finished third last in the FKF Premier League and Mombasa United, who finished third in the National Super League, were paired in the two-leg promotion play-off that had, in fact, been a subject of controversy and did prevent the new season from kicking off.

But after the FKF mediated a solution for the two teams to fight it out in the field of play, there was a collective sigh of relief from a weary football fraternity anxious to see the season up and running.

The first leg match at KPA Mbaraki Sports Club, a tension-charged affair, last Thursday, saw Mombasa squeeze out a narrow 2-1 victory.

The stage was thus set for the do-or-die second leg match at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nairobi yesterday.

That the 10,000-capacity complex was almost fully packed indicated the attraction and the stakes of this fixture. But the beautiful game turned into a farce that has so often visited Kenyan football, ad infinitum.

The highly competitive match was abandoned in the 62nd minute after chaos erupted following the referee’s decision to award Mombasa a penalty, with the score at 2-1 in favour of Sharks, and deadlocked 3-3 on aggregate.

Mombasa, intent on making their first appearance in top-flight football, took the lead in the sixth minute through a header by Jamal Messi from a corner kick.

They could have doubled their advantage in the 15th minute through Wakesho Jackson, but he failed to tap in a loose ball from a cross from the left wing.

Kariobangi Sharks won the first of their five first-half corners in the 20th minute as they pressed hard for an equalizer.

They deservedly pulled the goal back in the 25th minute when forward Mohammed Hussein was brought down just outside the box. Captain and internationally capped Patillah Omotto stepped up to curl the ball past Mombasa goalkeeper Williams Chigozie.

Ten minutes later, the home side took the lead, Eustace Chisala receiving a cross from the right and, and even though tightly marked, managing to lay a short pass to an unmarked Douglas Omanga who slotted into an empty net after Chigozie had left his line to close down Chisala.

Sharks coach William Muluya made a double substitution in the second half, introducing David Polepole and Wylin Dalvin for Douglas Omanga and Hussein respectively to add more firepower upfront, revealing his intent to see off the match clear.

In the 62nd minute, Mombasa United won their second corner of the second half. As the ball was about to be delivered, the centre referee John Sulwe pointed to the penalty spot, ruling that a Mombasa player had been pulled by his shirt in the box.

The decision sparked wild protests from Sharks players, who confronted the referee.

Incensed fans joined the melee, invading the pitch as they bayed for the referee’s blood.

The fans assaulted the referee as marshals and some members of the Kenya Defence Forces tried to intervene, eventually getting him into the safety of the stadium bowl.

Mayhem reigned before police eventually cleared fans, media and all attendees from the stadium.

The football fraternity awaits FKF’s action, as do the two competing clubs.

Article 3.5.6 of the Football Kenya Federation Rules and Regulations states: “A club will forfeit any match which was abandoned because of the misconduct of their members or supporters.”