Nick Mwendwa assures Kenyan football will be incomparable in Africa in three years
The curtains for the 2023/24 season came down on Sunday, July 23rd, with Gor Mahia being crowned the champions for a record 21st time, after finishing eight points ahead of second-placed Tusker.
K’Ogalo amassed 73 points; Tusker came second with 65, while Kenya Police finished third with 57. Gor Mahia achieved their success with 21 wins, 10 draws, and three defeats.
Meanwhile, the relegation battle saw Muhoroni Youth and Nzoia Sugar drop to the lower division with Shabana and Sofapaka surviving the axe. Sofapaka’s 3-1 win against Nzoia Sugar granted them a lifeline, earning a play-off spot where they will face either FKF National Super League (NSL) clubs, Naivas FC or Nairobi United.
The first leg of the play-off will be on Saturday, July 6th, and the second leg on Sunday, July 14th.
Kenyan football on the right track
Speaking after handing Gor Mahia the trophy, Mwendwa described the just concluded season as among the best during his reign as the FKF boss citing the involvement of fans to support their teams as among the reasons it was successful.
“We had the best season, the just concluded one, but I have a feeling next season will even be better than this one,” Mwendwa told Flashscore. “We had the best league because of its competitiveness and supporters coming out to support their teams.
“The turnout of fans was better than any other year, but next year we will lift it a notch higher and I want to call upon everyone to come on board, it is just a start and we can only make it better with everyone on board, we have only started, we have seven years (in office) to do the work, so we are still at work.
The FKF supremo further explained why he anticipates a more competitive 2024/25 season, adding his focus is to make the league better than the rest in Africa. The new season is expected to kick off in August.
“Next year I promise bigger and better things, we will have a good league like no other, we are happy stadiums are being built and these will be an added advantage to our plans to improve the league, and then after next year, the next three years, Kenyan football will not be compared anywhere in Africa, we will be way far, I promise,” added Mwendwa.
In recent years, the Kenyan league has lacked the spark with winners going home without price money. Asked what was in store for title winners Gor Mahia, Mwendwa said: “We have plans, of course, they (Gor Mahia) will be feted, they will not go home empty-handed, I can assure you they will get a cash reward for their achievement.”
Kenyan football deserves high standards
Outgoing Gor Mahia coach Johnathan McKinstry challenged FKF to improve the standards of football in the country, saying they have been at a low point for the past few years.
“I wanted supporters not only from Gor Mahia but from all the team to come out in their thousands and support their teams because Kenyan football is coming back, there is no doubt the league has been at a low point for a few years but we can get Kenyan football back to high standards, full stadiums, high-quality football, high-quality pitches,” McKinstry, who oversaw his last game as Gor Mahia coach told Flashscore.
“So that is what I want to see over the next three to five years, all these new stadiums that are being built, I want to see them full, and it should be only Gor Mahia fans, but Kenyan football in general.”
The Northern Irish tactician, who won two league titles with Gor Mahia, has already left to take the vacant role as the Gambia head coach on a two-year contract.
On his final game at K’Ogalo ending in a 4-3 win against Bidco United, McKinstry said: “It was a bit of a crazy game, you get such games at the end of seasons sometimes but look I am happy, I have signed off with a win, and impressed that my supporters have gone home a happy lot from the win.
“We started incredibly well in the match, like a steam train and looking for early goals, but we dropped the foot off the gas peddle a little bit but credit to Bidco United, they scored two good goals from their strikers and we had to reorganise ourselves before sealing off the win.”
By winning the league, Gor Mahia will shift their focus to the CAF Champions League for next season. Last season, Gor Mahia did not participate in the CAF competition after they were barred by the African body following their failure to pay monies owed to three of their former players.
