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| Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa (left) addresses journalists flanked by Chief Executive Officer Robert Muthomi at Kandanda House on October 23, 2018. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP |
A total of 78 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) delegates will be seeking to pass a proposal that permits the fielding of club academy players in senior teams at the sixth Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Kisumu on Saturday.
The proposal, the last of the 15 listed agenda, highlights submissions from the National Executive Committee (NEC) members.
If passed, clubs will be allowed to field young players from their development sides during the season, a move FKF Youth Committee Chairman Chris Amimo has lauded.
“It will give more youth a chance to have a feel of first team football at a tender age. It might be difficult to implement for now especially for clubs that do not have operational youth teams but it’s good for the future and I would advise clubs to run a development side as per the club licensing regulations,” said Amimo.
Kariobangi Sharks chairman Robert Maoga, whose club will represent the country in continental competitions alongside Gor Mahia, said the proposal will ease the anticipated fatigue that will come with a congestion of fixtures following the implementation of a transitional calendar beginning in December.
“With various competitions to play in a single season, this is the only way we can give exposure to our academy players,” said Maoga.
Champions Gor Mahia, Sharks, Bandari and Tusker are so far the only clubs with viable youth teams competing in the lower leagues.
The delegates will also be tasked with adoption or rejection of new recommendations from the technical department, the league calendar change, club licensing, club ownership, registration and legal form regulations.
Delegates have also been furnished with financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2017 and next year’s budget for perusal before Saturday’s AGM where FKF expects they will also be approved.
The delegates have been served with the financial report according to FKF Media chief Barry Otieno.
“It’s after the report has been deliberated on the floor by members that it will be availed to the public, they have already had the documents for perusal for a month now,” he underlined.