We must admit that there has been turmoil in the organisation and management of football in this country. Everybody, both in government and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), have behaved badly in the past.
The bad behaviour culminated in the suspension of the country by both Fifa and CAF. The results of this suspension were so dire and up to this moment we have not recovered fully from them.
Many contracts by FKF and other interested parties were revoked; we ran a league with some annoying body which in the end was cancelled; the clubs lost a lot of money travelling round the country to honour matches that were not of any importance…we could add many troubles but these will suffice to give us a true picture of the quagmire.
Before all this FKF Premier League matches were being televised live, and since our country has poor transport facilities and poverty that cannot allow fans to travel far to watch a match, the broadcast gave us a chance to watch the matches as “armchair supporters”. From the televised matches, the teams could earn some income and the federation, too, was in on a piece of the pie.
After Fifa revoked Kenya’s ban and the return of the “original” cast of the FKF, silence reigns.
The contract to televise the matches was suspended and now most of the matches are played in darkness. Those of us who have the opportunity to watch the games are wishing all the fans could do the same. There is very good football going on in this country that ought to be put to light!
This will not only earn the clubs revenue but will also get football agents to see our talented boys play and may earn them a calling to better leagues. At the moment, most of the matches are streamed live by home teams and can be watched on phone or on other gadgets.
But the quality of streaming is wanting and, sometimes, just annoyingly hangs during an important juncture in the match. It is frustrating for the people who love excellence.
During the Bandari FC versus Gor Mahia match played in Mombasa, the live stream disappeared for some minutes and when it resumed, a goal had been scored and we couldn’t rewind to catch the action. It was frustrating!
Some teams may be making a lot of money from these live streams, but centralisation is paramount.
The FKF must wake up to the fact that before they sign any TV contract, they must agree with the clubs on revenue sharing. The last time they signed a TV deal, it was done without reference to the clubs and some teams “loved” by the office were given the lion’s share of TV coverage!
The coverage must be done since it can spur growth in the sport and has many advantages. BY DAILY NATION