NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to send an inspection team to Nairobi to check on the progress and readiness of the Nyayo National Stadium to stage international matches.

The CAF inspectors will travel to the country immediately the airport is re-opened after their initial inspection tour in March was halted by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, the Federation’s International Match Organizing Committee (IMOC) toured the Stadium to check on the progress to help them prepare a report which will be used by CAF as a guide.

“We are here to check on the facilities and whether they meet CAF and FIFA standards. Things like changing rooms, medical room, media facilities as well as stadium security are very integral and we need to have a look at them,” IMOC chair Michael Ouma told Capital Sports.

He added; “When normalcy returns, CAF will come maybe in July or August and look at the work which has been done. They were to come in March but with the issues of travel restrictions we had to cancel. We intend to host our next international matches here.”

The completion of the Nyayo Stadium will come as a welcome relief to the Federation as they will have a second alternative to Kasarani.  The Stadium is also looked at as an easily accessible venue which means more fans will attend games and offer the much-needed full home ground advantage.

Kenya’s representatives in the CAF Inter-Club tournaments will also breathe a sigh of relief as a return to Nyayo will be more than welcome.

The Stadium’s renovation started in 2017 as Kenya prepared to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) but the slow progress of the works meant Kenya missed out on the opportunity which was passed on to Morocco.

“We are happy with what the government is doing and we hope that they will speed up works in other facilities like Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret to give us more options for international matches,” Ouma further stated.

Works at the stadium is at the finishing stage with the changing rooms, referee and anti-doping areas now complete. The sitting areas have been finished with all seats laid while the VIP rooms have also been completed.

Capital Sports has learnt that the playing surface is set for a final round of layering and it should be complete in the next one month with a new set of grass brought in to patch up the dry areas.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25 – With an influx in the number of doping cases in the country, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has vowed to push on with her bid to make an amendment to the Anti-Doping Act to ensure anyone found guilty of doping will be jailed.

This year alone, four Kenyans have been slapped with bans over doping violations while five more have been suspended over the same, raising concern in the government.

Amina says the Ministry is working with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya to make amendments to the Act to ensure that no one found guilty of doping will be walking free.

“We are amending the Act because we have to bring it in line with the new international terms,” CS Amina told Capital Sports on Thursday adding that the whole process should be completed in the next two months.

She added; “The numbers have grown over the last one year and we can’t afford to do that. We want to look at the whole ecosystem and criminalize anyone found guilty within that system. No one is safe be it a health practitioner, a coach, a pharmacist or whoever. Anyone who engages in this illegal activity will be captured and we will deal with them.”

The talk over criminalizing doping has been ongoing for a while especially since Kenya came close to losing a spot at the Rio Olympics over the Anti-Doping Act. Amina, then CS for Foreign Affairs was integral in seeing Kenya’s ban pushed aside as she led a delegation to meet World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bosses.

“This is close to my heart because it is about the image of the country. We want to make sure that our image is not dented by a few people. We are 50 million Kenyans and we can’t let four people ruin the reputation. We want our athletes to compete in a safe environment free from drugs,” the CS stated.

She added; “We will deal with it and the only way will deal with it is by criminalizing it. People should know that if they engage in doping, there are consequences. You can’t do this and go home free.”

The ministry has formed a working team with ADAK to formulate the amended Act.

Also top in the Ministry’s priority is expanding the Nairobi Laboratory to ensure it can handle testing, something that will mean Kenya’s samples can be tested locally instead of being tested abroad.

The Ministry says it will allocate funds for its expansion.

“We have an understanding with WADA to support that. The President spoke to me and said he will give the kind of support we need to expand it. We can’t continue sending our samples to Qatar and South Africa because it is terribly costly. We want to do the same at home,” CS Amina disclosed.

At the same time, Athletics Kenya chief Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei says they have so far worked with 53 athletes to help them understand the ‘whereabouts rule’ that has seen more athletes nabbed in the country.

AK conducted two separate virtual meetings with a group of 27 and 26 athletes with Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) officials to help the athletes understand the importance of the rules.

Tuwei has told Capital Sport that AK was astonished to find out that some athletes do not fill the whereabouts form for themselves, hence creating confusion.

“We asked the athletes the problem only to discover that most of them don’t fill the forms themselves. It is done by the coach, a friend or the manager and when the Doping Control Officer comes to test them, the athlete does not even know he or she is supposed to be there because they are not the ones who filled the form,” Tuwei stated.

According to the whereabouts rule, an athlete is supposed to indicate where he will be at least one hour each day to allow for testing. If an athlete posts three consecutive whereabouts failure, then they are suspended.

This year, former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang, Alex Oloitiptip and Alfred Kipketer have all been suspended because of breaching the whereabouts rule.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Jun 25 – The Football Kenya Federation, just like all 211 FIFA Member Associations, is set to receive a Sh106mn (1mnUSD) COVID-19 relief grant from FIFA as well as an additional Sh53.3mn (500,000USD) that will go specifically to women’s football.

FIFA is to make available $1.5 billion in grants and loans as a relief fund to help associations impacted by the coronavirus, the world football’s governing body announced on Thursday.

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, said the relief fund had been “unanimously approved” by the members of its council and insisted there would be “strict controls” on how the money is spent.

In addition, member associations can also apply for a COVID-19 relief loan worth 35 percent of their revenue up to a maximum of $5 million (Sh532.8mn) each. Continental governing bodies will get $2 million (Sh213mn) as a relief grant, and can also apply for an extra $4 million (Sh426.2mn) relief loan.

Infantino promised “strict controls on the use of the funds, with audits”, and said there would be “very clear conditions” for how loans are repaid.

FIFA is financing the enormous relief fund by dipping into its reserves, with $328 million covering grants and $556 million to finance loans, Infantino said.

“Clubs and federations are in real danger. In some parts of the world, football has not restarted. We need to help them,” he said.

The creation of the relief fund had been announced by FIFA in March, when football across much of the globe was halted as the pandemic spread.

The Zurich-based body had already announced in April that it would free up $150 million in subsidies to member associations to help deal with the consequences of the crisis.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 26 – Kenyan international Francis Kahata has won his fourth league title in a row and the first in Tanzania after Simba SC were confirmed as the Tanzanian League champions with six games to go following a barren draw with Tanzania Prisons on Sunday evening.

The draw in Sokoine puts Simba at 79 points after 32 matches, earning them an unassailable 19-point lead over second placed arch-rivals Yanga who are on 60 points.

Kahata sat out of Sunday’s match against Prisons as a rest ahead of Wednesday’s Tanzanian FA Cup clash against giants Azam SC.

“I am delighted to have won the title and this is something really great as a player. Winning a league title in a different country is amazing,” said Kahata who won three straight league titles with Kenya’s record champions Gor Mahia.

Simba have been a class of their own this season and the signing of Kahata as well as several other stars saw them add muscle and their next hope is to dominate in Africa next season.

Meanwhile, another former Gor Mahia man, striker Meddie Kagere looks set to clinch the Tanzanian golden boot for a second consecutive time.

The striker, who was incidentally signed on this date in 2018 from Gor has scored 19 goals so far in this campaign.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 28 – The Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) is mourning the death of its second vice president Francis Kaaria who died at his Meru home on Friday, two days shy of celebrating his first anniversary as the boxing body’s second in command.

In a statement, BFK announced Kaaria’s demise, celebrating the official, nicknamed Njuri Ncheke. Kaaria was also eulogized by Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed who tweeted;

“Mr. Kaaria will be remembered as a committed sportsman who contributed to the exceptional growth of Boxing in the country.”

Kaaria served in different capacities in the Kenyan boxing fraternity.

He started his journey in boxing administration as treasurer of prison boxing association where he was working and later rose to the position of Vice Chairman Prison Boxing Association.

He also served in Amateur Boxing Association of Kenya (ABA) as a co-opted member.

He retired from Kenya Prison Service in the year 2004 where he had risen to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Prison.

He was elected as chairman of the  Eastern Boxing Association in year 2008. In 2013 he retained the position and also ascended to become the national second vice chair of the Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK).

On June 28, 2019, Kaaria was elected BFK’s second vice president. He was also the chairman of the Meru County Boxing Association at the time of his demise.

He has also served as a team manager in the Kenya national boxing team on two international assignments; first at the 2013 AIBA world championship in Kazakhstan and in 2014 at the AIBA World Youth Championship in Bulgaria.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 29 – Kenyan betting site Odibets has decided to cash in on the return of football following the COVID-19 pandemic enforced halt by launching a new user-friendly app to enable punters place their stakes in an easier and friendlier manner.

All major European leagues have resumed action, with the Bundesliga already having finished their season and Bayern Munich declared champions. The popular English Premier League as well as the Spanish La Liga with its intriguing title race has elicited excitement among football fans and avid punters.

Odibets Country Marketing Manager Aggrey Sayi says the new App is a way of appreciating their clients who have been faithfully placing their stakes on the site which also currently partners the Football Kenya Federation in sponsoring the grassroot leagues.

“We have launched the Odibets app as a reward to our loyal punters who have been with us all through. The new app has various interesting features that have made betting easy for the common mwananchi,” Sayi commented.

The App has features like streaming live games, sharing bet slips, light and dark mode options and four virtual leagues that will keep punters on toes.

The app also pushes instant notifications on games; punters place their bets and follow up on bets they placed. To top it all up, one gets a Sh50 bonus for the first cash bet of Sh30 and above on the app.

The launch of the App follows on Odibets virtual betting platform that gained lots of popularity when football was stopped by the pandemic.

The return of football has however opened up more options and revived the betting industry which was one of those hugely affected with the stoppages caused by the pandemic.

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Nairobi, Kenya, Jun 30 – New Zealand have been declared both the men’s and women’s Sevens Series champions after World Rugby cancelled the remaining legs of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Rugby announced the decision on Tuesday morning, after a consultation process that looked at the possibility of concluding the season in the wake of the novel coronavirus.

The remaining legs were scheduled to move to Langford, London, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The decision follows detailed and constructive dialogue with the host and participating unions, and has been taken with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public as top priority, and in line with the relevant national government and public health authority advice,” World Rugby said in their statement.

Kenya’s Shujaa was placed 12^th in the standings with 35 points after the first six legs.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Lionesses’ dream of earning promotion will have to wait for another one season after the proposed inaugural Challenger Series event originally scheduled for 28-29 March in Stellenbosch, South Africa, was also cancelled.

New Zealand topped both the men’s and women’s standings before the pandemic interrupted the Series with five of the eight women’s rounds and six of the 10 men’s rounds successfully completed.

The Black Ferns Sevens had topped the podium in four of the five rounds in the women’s Series so far, while the All Blacks Sevens had claimed three victories and five podium finishes in the six rounds completed in the men’s Series.

Olympic champions Australia finish second in the women’s Series with Canada in third.

In the men’s Series, the 2018 champions South Africa finish in second place with Olympic and 2019 Series champions Fiji in third. There will be no relegation from the women’s or men’s Series in 2020.

World Rugby has also announced there will be no promotion or relegation this season.

As a result of these amendments, seedings for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be adapted to include results from the 2021 Series to ensure they provide the most robust and accurate representation of current form when the Games commence in July 2021.

“While it is very disappointing for players, fans, organisers and everyone involved to have to cancel these events due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and wider society remains the number one priority,” said World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30 – Former Harambee Stars skipper Musa Otieno is stable and recovering at the Mbagathi Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

According to sources, Otieno developed a fever last week and was rushed to hospital on Friday after complaining of breathing difficulties. He was taken to the Mbagathi Hospital where he was stabilized after being put on oxygen.

He is currently admitted at the infectious disease unit.

He has been at the forefront in distributing foodstuff to the vulnerable in Maringo , the area where he grew up through his Kick off to Hope organization.

“Most of the players’ parents have lost income because a huge number do contractual jobs which are no longer available. And that means that even the players themselves are not eating well. We have started a program where we have set aside five dollars for each family and we have started with our players,” Otieno said in an interview with Capital Sports last month.

Health officials will now begin tracing of Otieno’s contacts over the last two weeks.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30 – High Court judge Ngenye Macharia has quashed a 15-year jail sentence and ordered a retrial of rugby stars Alex Olaba and Frank Wanyama over allegations of raping a woman at her residence in Nairobi’s Highrise Estate.

The orders were given after it emerged that during the appeal process, there is no evidence that one of the witnesses was either sworn or not before giving evidence.

The two are now set to take plea before a Magistrate’s Court on July 7.

They had been sentenced to 15 years in jail last year by Magistrate Martha Mutuku after they were found guilty of raping the upcoming female musician after attending a birthday party.

The two ex-Kenya Harlequins players have since denied committing the offense and maintained innocence.

–By Melanie Mburu

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NYERI, Kenya, June 30 – Sports Kenya has given a contractor building a sh280 million Ruringu Stadium in Nyeri two months to complete works which has stalled for the last three years.

Speaking Tuesday after touring ongoing works, the team led by Nyeri County Commissioner, Loyford Kibaara, Sports Kenya Director Mwangi Muthee and area MP Wambugu Ngunjiri said that the contactor must finish the works by latest September 30 failure to which he will face sanctions.

Construction of the 15-seater Stadium was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 2017, but its construction stalled moments after due to nonpayment of the contractor by the government.

However, works started again in May this year after the contractor signed return to work agreement with the ministry of sports and undertook to complete remaining works.

During today’s tour the contractor Sam Mwaniki was taken to task by officials due to the delay and at one point he exchanged bitter words with Kibaara.

“I want to know why this work is not complete, yet the government does not owe you a cent, tell us when you will be through and stop lying to us,” said Kibaara.

On his part, Muthee said that an officer will be deployed on the site to ensure that work is done day and night for the stadium to be complete in those two months.

“We have agreed with the contractor that each week a certain portion of work must be done, this will be under supervision of works officer and offices from County Commissioner office this stadium must be done on time,” said Muthee.

Wambugu said that the stadium must be complete to spur sport tourism in the area owing to the stadium historic importance and the fact that it’s a high-altitude training facility.

The contactor said that he has no problem completing the remaining sixty percent of works but stated that he is getting part of payment.

“Nyerians must understand that we have not received full payment as implied we are getting payments of work done but I have no problem now and I will complete building this facility on time,” revealed Mwaniki.

-By Josphat Kinyua

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 6 – Kenyan Premier League side Wazito FC is set for another purge as the moneyed club announced the departure of head coach Stewart Hall, barely a year after he arrived to save the club from imminent fall.

In a statement on the club’s website Monday evening, the coach said that he needs to travel back to the United Kingdom to be with his family.

“Together with my technical team, we worked really hard, the players did their part and together we managed to get some good results. Just before the league was stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unbeaten in almost ten matches and this shows the strides we had made as a team,” Hall said as he announced his departure from the club.

He added; “It was an honor to work with you. I wish the club all the best for the future, I believe I have put in a good foundation to steer the team forward.”

Hall joined Wazito in November after the entire technical bench, then under the stewardship of Stanley Okumbi as Technical Director was sent packing due to poor results.

However, despite a slight lift off the relegation zone, the club was far from impressive despite a healthy financial backing from its Dubai-based owner.

Sources intimate that the tactician might be leaving because of an apparent purge expected at the club where several players who are deemed surplus to requirements despite their hefty salaries are said to be laid off.

Capital Sports understands that the club is set to do away with a huge chunk of its foreign based legion while several other highly paid, but non-performing players are set to face the exit.

Meanwhile, Wazito CEO Dennis Gicheru says the club’s management will announce its new set of technical bench members in the near future.

The coaching seat at the club has been like a revolving chair with ins and outs. Frank Ouna who was caretaker coach of the club before Hall came in was asked to step aside barely two months into the arrival of the new tactician.

Fred Ambani was brought back to work as Hall’s assistant, having earlier been part of the team that was kicked out by the owner.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 6 – Former Marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang says his four-year doping ban is down to the poor relationship he has with Athletics Kenya (AK) and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

Kipsang, also a two-time London and New York Marathon champion was slapped with a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after missing three tests within a 12-month period.

“They (AIU) rely on information from ADAK and AK. Because these giys are not in good terms with me, they give wrong information about me. I give the right information but they say ‘this guy is lying’ because we are not in good terms,” a tearful Kipsang said in an interview with KTN News.

Kipsang missed four tests within a 12-month period in 2018-2019 but was excused for one as it was proved that his manager was unable to change his whereabouts location in time.

But, he could not prove beyond doubt why he missed the other three.

He now says with a four-year ban that ends in 2024 and an advancing age of 41, he will retire from the sport. “I have no intention of running again. I officially retire,” stated the athlete.

The first alleged missed test occurred on April 27 and his explanation was that he had travelled to his sister’s pre-wedding ceremony and encountered heavy rains on his way back which caused a landslide that closed his preferred route.

Kipsang stated that he instead chose a longer route that saw him get home past his 10pm-11pm testing window. On why he couldn’t be reached on phone, he said that the heavy rains caused disruption in network.

However, the AIU got information from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Kenya Meteorological department including rainfall data from Cheptebo Rainfall Station which proved that rainfall on that day was not enough to cause a landslide.

Meanwhile on his April 2019 missed test, Kiprop said he reached home 10 minutes before his testing window was closed but was unable to provide a urine sample. He alleged that they made an agreement with the Doping Control Officer to come back three days later.

His testimony was corroborated by that of the wife and watchman, but the DCO’s testimony and evidence proved otherwise.

While Kipsang says he was home by 10:50, the DCO said by the time they were leaving his house way past 11:20, he was yet to arrive and efforts to reach him were futile.

The ruling has a provision for appeal but Kipsang is yet to explicitly confirm he will appeal the decision.

The 37-year old who won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics becomes the 53^rd Kenyan to be banned by the AIU over a doping violation and becomes yet another elite list among Rita Jeptoo, Jemimah Sumgong and Asbel Kiprop.

The post Kipsang squares blame on Athletics Kenya, ADAK after doping ban appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 6 – Kenyan athletes have breathed a collective sigh of relief after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Monday that the Kenyan airspace will be open for international flights beginning August 1.

The Kenyan airspace has been closed since April when the Government announced containment measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the re-organized international athletics calendar scheduled to gun off on August 14 with the Monaco leg of the Diamond League, athletes will now train with hope that they can compete in the French resort city.

Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot had already confirmed they were planning to run in the race and with the announcement that the airports will be opened under strict conditions, there is renewed hope they will start their season.

Meanwhile, the news of the airport re-opening is a huge relief for organizers of the World Athletics Continental Tour which has been scheduled for September 26. This might also be a sign that the World Under-20 Championship might be rescheduled for 2021.

Meanwhile, hopes of sportsmen and women returning to the pitch soon have been quashed with the President announcing a further 30-day ban on social and public gatherings.

The Ministry of Sport has however set up a team made up of stakeholders from all sporting disciplines to explore the possibilities and guidelines for sports to resume in the country.

CS Amina Mohamed chaired a meeting with several Federation representatives on Monday morning to brainstorm on what is needed for safe return of sports.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 6 – Sign-on fees are an integral part of players’ movement from one club to another during the transfer window. No player leaves Club A for Club B without a figure being involved and it is an important aspect for both the player and the involved clubs.

But, have you ever heard of a fan earning transfer fees and a solid contract? Well, this is the story of staunch Sofapaka supporter Rama Ibrahim.

In 2011, the lanky Ramah, synonymous with his ever-loud vuvuzela and swinging dreadlocks stunned the football world when he ditched his childhood club Mathare United, swapping the green and yellow of the Slum Boys for the blue and white of Batoto ba Mungu.

And that was not just it. He earned both a sign-on fee and a 10-year contract, set to expire in 2021.

And in an exclusive interview with Capital Sport, Ramah, who also works as a tout in the Eastleigh 9/6 route discloses that when the aroma of Prezda Elly Kalekwa’s purse hit his nostrils, he had to follow in its direction.

“When I was in Mathare, I used to play with the Sofapaka Wazee team and Kalekwa was impressed with what I was doing as a fan. At that time, I was living in the red because I hadn’t paid my rent for more than six months,” the father of four says.

-Everything fell into place after Sofapaka move

He adds; “When I made the decision to move to Sofapaka, everything fell in place. My rent arrears were instantly sorted by Kalekwa who also added me some more as pocket money to keep me going. We agreed on a 10-year contract and I want to believe I am the only fan in Kenya to ever receive signing fee.”

His decision to leave Mathare, Ramah explains, was down to an unnamed official who allegedly frustrated his efforts and he never felt appreciated by them.

 “He did not appreciate our input as fans and would even deny us merchandise yet we are always there for the team, travelling with them across the country,” Ramah states.

With zero regrets of swapping jerseys for good, Ramah now calls Sofapaka family and gleefully screams ‘Sofapaka for life’.

“I cannot support any other team. Not even Gor or AFC Leopards. Even when I get free merchandise of any of the two clubs, like when AFC captain Robinson Kamura gave me one, I would rather give it out to my friends of relatives.”

He also discloses that there was a time Wazito wanted to recruit him to their ranks, but his love for the club and loyalty to owner Kalekwa were too strong to allow any wind to blow his flag to another direction.

“I will stick with Kalekwa until that time he will say enough is enough,” he says.

Even when his contract officially ends next year, Ramah says he will still dance to the beat of the Sofapaka drums.

-Trains with the team to keep fit-

And for him as well, he always trains with the team whenever they have their sessions at the Eastleigh High School and being a former player whose career was cut short by injury, keeping fit is part of the job as well.

“Blowing a vuvuzela also requires energy. To do it for 90 minutes, you need some reasonable energy,” the full-of-life Ramah says.

As a fan, the raw emotions of the game hit harder than players, in most cases. And it is no different with Ramah. He has also had his fair share of lows as a football fan and one that stands out sharp in his list of memories is when they were almost relegated from the KPL in 2016.

 “That was a very tough moment for all of us. We were always being taunted by rival fans especially Mathare. But when we managed to survive, it was a great relief and we even had a party where the legendary Mbilia Bel performed and I was fortunate to meet her,”

Among his other favorite moments as a Sofapaka fan include the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Shield triumph in 2014.

-Hooliganism-

As a fan, one thing that has stood out and become an impediment to more like him to attend matches is hooliganism but he believes the vice will be dealt with soon.

“In this day and age, hooliganism should be a thing of the past. I have been a victim of hooliganism while at Mathare United when I walked into the stadium late during a Gor Mahia game. I was blowing my vuvuzela loudly and clearly it didn’t please them. I was roughed up and it was Andrew Oyombe who came to my rescue,” he explains.

“My advice to fans is that they need to style up and look at themselves as Kenyans and not people from whichever residential areas they come from,” adds Ramah.

Meanwhile, on the national team front, Rama says he is an avid supporter of the Harambee Stars, but is only pained that fans don’t travel for away matches and he hopes the government can facilitate a few every time the team is flying out.

-Ramah at a glance

For Ramah, football was second nature and was an active player with Kenya Bus and Pumwani Sportiff.

His hope of making it pro were however cut short when he picked up a nasty knee injury as he played for the Eastleigh 9/6 team at the Koth Biro tournament in Ziwani.

He was born and brought up in Eastleigh and his period at Undugu St. Teresa enabled him to meet football icons from then, including Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi who was the Mathare United skipper then.

Happily married, the father of three has aptly named all his sons around football icons. He has Mariga Junior, Kalekwa Junior also nicknamed Messi and Abdul Razak as well as one adopted boy.

“I named my boys after football personalities as I have always wanted them to realize their potential in the sport,” says Ramah.

-Favorite coaches-

Ramah has huge admiration for Sofapaka coach John Baraza especially with his open style management where he takes advise from everyone but makes his own final decisions. But, his favorite is Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee.

“He is a very flamboyant person and loves the trendy things in life. The way he dresses up, his eloquence and he brags after victory is always admirable. The guy is just awesome. Coach Kimanzi is second on my list. He is a mtaa guy and well versed with all technological advancements and knows how to relate with people,” Rama says before adding on that Baraza, Zedekiah Otieno and Robert ‘The Lion’ Matano complete his top five.

The post How ‘Prezda’ Kalekwa’s purse strings pulled super fan Rama from Mathare to Sofapaka appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 8 – Former Harambee Stars skipper and assistant coach Musa Otieno says he counts it as a second chance in life after recovering from COVID-19 and being discharged from his isolation ward at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

Otieno, who does charity work with his Kick Off to Hope Academy tested positive for the virus a fortnight ago and was immediately admitted to the infectious disease unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital until his discharge four days ago.

“This is like my second chance in life and I thank God for it. There are people who have succumbed to this disease and others are struggling to recover. I am alive to tell everyone that COVID-19 is real and we should all take it with the seriousness it deserves,” Otieno told Capital Sport.

He now has to stay isolated at home for the next 14 days after which he will take another test to ensure that he is completely free of the virus that has tormented the world for the last four months.

Otieno says he does not wish the experience he had on even his worst enemy.

“It was not easy; it was a very tough experience to be honest. Walking and breathing was a challenge and my body was completely shattered. It was a near death experience. The good thing is that I went to hospital and was quickly put on breathing aid and medication,” the soft-spoken former defender states.

He adds; “Everyday was a new experience and to be honest it was very scary. But I thank God I am now okay and I thank the doctors for doing their job very well and professionally. I also want to thank all the fans and Kenyans who prayed for me.”

He has now asked people to follow the government containment measures put in place and above all to take extra care of themselves and take personal responsibility to avert the danger of the disease spreading further.

“For some people you know they will not take it seriously until they see a friend or a family member with it but we should not get it there. I would like to urge everyone to take precaution and the measures given by the government seriously. People should not ignore because COVID-19 is real,”

“I cannot even say where I picked it from. I am trying to retrace my steps to know exactly where I picked it from but it’s very difficult. Only go where it is necessary, don’t just go places because you have to go,” Otieno advised.

He had been working in the Maringo Estate where he grew up, distributing food to people who have found things tough during this pandemic period.

He however says that all workers at his Foundation have been tested and turned out negative.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 10 – NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 10 – An Embakasi based taxi driver is thanking his lucky stars after an 11-team over 2.5 multibet went his way, earning him Sh505,692 on local betting platform Odibets.

John Githaiga had placed the audacious bet through the SMS platform of the betting site and he was eagerly holding his breath as all 11 games went true to his script.

“I placed my bet of 11 matches to end at over 2.5 goals each just for the fun of it as I am an ardent football fan and it went through much to my surprise,”

“At first I thought I was dreaming when I saw the congratulations message on my phone, I had placed my bets two days in advance and hoped to win though I wasn’t sure if I would have won,” said an elated Githaiga said after picking his handsome cheque.

With his winnings and the current difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Githaiga says he will use the money to better his family’s life and expand his taxi business.

SMS betting is quickly gaining traction among punters in the country and this has seen betting firms venture into the SMS betting bandwagon and Odibets clearly has not been left behind.

For punters wihing to stake using the SMS platform, they can do so online or using the SMS short code provided by the company after texting the word ODI to 29680 to register after which they will be prompted on the next steps.

The following are needed to place the bet using SMS; GAMEID#PICK#AMOUNT

Game ID is the unique identifier of the game for instance for 40001 Man United vs Arsenal with ODDs (1 = 2.99; X = 3.52 2 = 2.99) to bet on this match for Manchester United you will place a bet as follows: –

SMS 40001#1#200 to 29680 where 200 is the total Stake and 1 for the home team.

The post Taxi driver scoops half a million in 11-team multibet appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 10 – Barely a week after former world record holder Wilson Kipsang was slapped with a four-year ban for Whereabouts Failure, an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), another Kenyan, Alex Korio has also suffered the same fate, though served with a two-year ban.

Korio missed three tests within a 12-month period between January and July 2019.

However, he has been issued with a lesser ban after he admitted liability for the three missed tests and also this being his first Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

The athlete was notified by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of all his three whereabouts failures for January 20, April 11 and July 19, but despite being given a chance to explain or ask for Administrative Review, he failed to respond and all were recorded as missed tests.

After the third missed test, he was issued with a notice of charge on March 17 this year.

According to the Athletics Integrity Unit, Korio’s authorized representative responded on his behalf on April 9 that the Athlete did not request a hearing and that he admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

On June 10, Korio accepted the proposed consequences by signing and returning an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences Form.

His two-year ban will now commence on the date of the third Whereabouts Failure, from 19 July 2019 to 18 July 2021.

At the same time, all competitive results obtained by the athlete between 19 July 2019 and 17 March 2020 will be disqualified with all resulting consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points prizes and appearance money.

Korio is the 2017 Bengaluru 10km run champion and also represented Kenya at the 2019 World Athletics Championship where he finished 11th in the 10,000m. He had earlier finished fourth at the national championships.

The post Another Kenyan athlete slapped with ban for Whereabouts Failure appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – The soft afternoon sun is calmly spreading its rays across the expansive Dandora area and the quiet peace and tranquility at the Social Hall in Phase Four, though punctuated by the stench from the nearby dumping site, is quickly disrupted when a familiar vehicle is spotted snaking its way in.

The Hall, with a gym and a handful of people sitting in a small group discussing issues of the day in hushed tones, is quickly invaded by a marauding crowd, most of them mothers, as they sight the car that once in a week delivers a filling meal.

It is the Friends of Arnold Origi meal caravan.

Once in a week, the nearby families benefit from a program started by the former Kenya number one to feed street families whose difficult struggle to find food has been made even harder by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smiles quickly line up near several of the hall windows, children with glowing eyes, mothers with hungry babies on their backs and men eager to get what might be their only meal of the day.

“I am very excited. I don’t know who has brought this food but we always look forward. I just want to say that may God bless him and make him richer,” one of the young boys, about six years, already licking his fingers after ravaging his share of the meal says, his wide smile betraying the joy from his heart.

Another one quickly adds; “I have known Origi since he was a kid and is almost like a brother. I am very excited to see him doing this because not all celebrities from the hood have such kind of a heart. I just pray that God blesses him with more and hopefully I see him back in the national team soon.”

It is a similar story all through the small compound as smiles and laughs rent their air.

Origi, through an initiative he started with friends thought of setting up the program at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to lend a helping hand to street families to get well cooked lunch and breakfast.

“I always believe that if you are a member of the society and you have been blessed with a voice loud enough to be heard by the rest of the society, it’s your responsibility to lend your voce to those whose voices are not loud enough,” Origi says, speaking to Capital Sports from his base in Helsinki, Finland.

“I feel like I have been blessed with a voice loud enough to be heard and that’s why I decided to use my voice to help,” he adds.

Through friends all the way from his second home Norway to Nairobi, Origi collects funds weekly and sends it from his base in Helsinki to the Kenyan capital, where he has partnered with others to cook lunch meals thrice in a week and distribute them to families in the streets.

“It started as an idea from the awareness of the need for help to the street families. At first, I made my own donation to set the ball rolling and then I reached out to my friends and family who came through in a massive way and suddenly the thing was gathering momentum,” Origi explains.

Twice, they distribute to street families in the Central Business District and once in Dandora.

They provide a whole lunch meal as well as milk and bread for the mothers which will be used for breakfast the following day. They have a weekly budget of almost Sh150,000 with a maximum on Sh50,000 spent on each meal.

Their target is to feed at least 150 people per sitting.

“We cook different meals ranging from ugali, chapati, rice and meat. We also include water and a fruit as well as milk and bread,” says Ryan Williams, who heads the catering unit of Origi’s CSR program.

He adds; “Arnold has given us huge support and we would not have done without him. We appreciate because we have been able to reach a lot of people, rescue people from the streets and some have gone back to their families.”

Francis Karanja who runs the logistics back home on behalf of Origi says the reception has been so big that they are thinking of expanding the program to other areas.

“We decided to do cooked food because even if you give them dry foodstuff, they don’t have anywhere to cook from in the streets. The people we serve have been so appreciative and now they demand is increasing,” he says.

For the street families in the CBD, reformed street boy John Mbugua, alias Bravo, has been of massive help as a link as they try reach out to the most vulnerable.

“Before COVID, I had been working with street families to look at ways they can better their lives through sports and we have had activities in cycling, football, taekwondo and boxing. Origi came in when we needed him most because street families have always had problems with food. Those who were previously donating to us couldn’t continue because of the pandemic and when Arnold came in, he made the situation bearable for us,” Mbugua noted.

On top of the street families feeding program, Origi has been rolling out help to the Single Mothers Initiative based in Ziwani whose sole purpose is to help young mothers leave the streets and transform into responsible citizens who can fend for themselves.

Origi has donated sewing machines to the program with the proprietor Angeline Nandwa says they use them to equip the street mothers with a skill that they can use to help themselves.

Nandwa’s program deals with street mothers aged between 13-17 years and they take them in with their children, give them a place to stay and apart from teaching them skills like sewing, baking and catering, they also offer them education through a government-seconded teacher.

“Arnold came in at the start of the year when we did not have funding and he has been helping with feeding the street families. Now we are also partnering with him in a project where these mothers will use the machines we have to make face masks with his branding. He will sell them and proceeds will come back to the mothers,” Nandwa explains.

“He has been of great help to us and you can’t even compare him to anyone else from this community who has managed success but never come back to help the community or give back where he came from.”

“This is something really great he has done and others should emulate him. Getting mothers and children off the streets is not an easy task,” she adds.

The shot-stopper says his affection towards mothers pushed him to offer more support and he says he wants to make the program bigger even long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

“Mothers have a very special place in my heart and it is very heartbreaking for me to see a mother in pain or suffering and that’s why I decided to do this.”

To add on to whatever he is already giving, Origi has worked with renowned media personality Stella Katiwa (Miss Katiwa) in empowering the girls and not just giving them a meal for the day.

Katiwa has had her own CSR activities with HIV Positive women and girls in Kibera and for her, seaming in to Orogi’s plan was a natural decision.

“I have been brought up in the ghetto and didn’t have the prestige of having full education. I know what these girls and women go through and when Arnold asked me to come in, I didn’t think twice. I saw it as a good opportunity to also help in empowering the girls and encouraging them,” she says.

Origi plans to move on with this project beyond COVID-19 with his biggest target being to help as many mothers and families as a whole off the street.

“The plan is to make it long term even after the COVID-19 situation. We want to take the direction of having these mothers off the streets. Of course we can’t get all of them out but even if we get two or three and equip them to fend for themselves and be able to sustain their families, that would be really awesome,” Origi states.

Meanwhile, Mbugua who runs a separate program with street kids, but relies on help from Origi has urged the former Kenyan international to create an annual street children tournament to help them realize their talents.

“It would be a great thing if we had an Origi Cup every year exclusively for street children where they can come, play and show their talents. You never know who is watching and they might get life from it. But so far, I really appreciate the kind of help that Origi has given us,” he adds.

The post From 9,000km away, Arnold Origi looking to change lives of street families appeared first on Capital Sports.

LOS ANGELES, United States, Jul 13 – World record holder Brigid Kosgei’s hope of a third consecutive Chicago Marathon title have been quashed after organizers moved to cancel the race scheduled for October 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kosgei won the Chicago race in 2018 and 2019 and had hoped to fight for a three-peat this season as well as use the chance to build up for next year’s Olympics.

Her title victory in 2019 also came through as the new world record, cutting the tape in 2hrs, 14 minutes, 04 seconds.

Kenya bagged a double in last year’s race with Lawrence Cherono, also in Kenya’s Marathon team for the Tokyo Olympics, winning the men’s race.

This is the first time in 33 years that the Marathon will not be staged. It was cancelled in 1987 due to lack of sponsorship.

The decision to cancel the Chicago Marathon had been largely expected, with several other major marathons around the world already suffering the same fate because of the pandemic.

“The Chicago Marathon is our city’s beloved annual celebration of more than 45,000 runners, as well as tens of thousands of volunteers, spectators and city residents,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

“Like all Chicagoans, I’m personally disappointed that this year’s event won’t take place as originally planned; however, we look forward to welcoming all runners and their cheering squads once again when the Chicago Marathon returns to our city in full force for another very exciting race.”

Race director Carey Pinkowski said the decision had been taken with the safety of participants and volunteers in mind.

“We understand the disappointment, but when we return to the streets of Chicago, it will be a celebratory moment and an uncompromising statement about the collective spirit of who we are as a running community: We are powerful, we are persistent, and we will reach the finish line again,” Pinkowski said.

Chicago becomes the latest of the World Marathon majors to be cancelled after Boston, initially pushed to September from April was also cancelled.

Both the Berlin and New York, which were originally scheduled for later this year have been cancelled. Only one major marathon has been staged, the Tokyo Marathon in March, but was only open to elite athletes.

At the moment, only the London Marathon remains as major hope with the richest 42km in the world set to go down on October 4, having been initially scheduled for April 26 but was pushed due to the virus.

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the second fastest ever man in the race are set to duel in the eagerly anticipated race.

The post Chicago Marathon cancelled over virus fears appeared first on Capital Sports.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14 – Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi has opened up on his relationship with his predecessor Sebastien Migne who he deputized during his stint as the national team boss until his departure last August.

Kimanzi, admitting they had constructive differences with the Frenchman however says he had a good time, learning from a new school of thought as well as picking lessons from the organization towards last year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

“This was my first time being a deputy coach because all the clubs I have been before I was the head coach. Sometimes you also want to be behind and learn from somebody else and see if you can gain some experience and also do a self-scan,” Kimanzi says.

“I was happy assisting Sebastien as I was learning and trying to figure out different ways of working and also learning on how I make crucial decisions and him as well and the way he handles things. It was quite an important moment for me,”

“But it was not easy because also when you have a lot of experience also as a head coach, there is always that fight on decisions and thoughts but it’s always a positive fight,” Kimanzi explained.

The experienced tactician under who Kenya achieved its highest ever FIFA ranking was appointed to be Migne’s local assistant after the Frenchman’s appointment and was also tasked with coaching the junior teams.

And when the Congo Brazzaville coach finally left the role, Kimanzi was elevated to be the head coach.

He picks out the experience of preparing and competing at the 2019 AFCON as one he will cherich and learnt a lot from.

“It is a big experience for any coach. Not only the tournament but the preparation itself, the intensity, the planning… What I learnt is preparing for long term and player management as well as the entire technical team. It is very important,” he says.

Kimanzi is meanwhile hoping to lead the team to a second consecutive AFCON experience. The AFCON originally set for next January has now been pushed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualifiers are also set to be rescheduled.

Kenya had picked back to back draws against Togo and Egypt in the opening two matches.

As Kimanzi waits on the new dates to be fixed, he is trying to keep up with his players and thankfully with some European leagues resuming, his squad will get valuable match fitness.

The post I learnt a lot from Migne, says Harambee Stars boss Kimanzi appeared first on Capital Sports.