Football Kenya Federation (FKF) suspended 14 players and two coaches for match-fixing after receiving a tip-off about cheating in the national league. Among those suspended were six players from Zoo Kericho FC, which was found guilty of match-fixing by Fifa’s integrity unit in 2021 and expelled from the Kenyan Premier League.
The federation said it suspended those accused, including one player from reigning Kenyan premiership side Tusker, until the matter was formally investigated.
In 2004, FIFA suspended Kenya for three months for government interference, but the situation was reversed after the country accepted to draw up new statutes so this came as no surprise to FIFA integrity Unit when the alleged reports surfaced.
“Football Kenya Federation (FKF) received confidential reports alleging the involvement of various players and officials in match fixing activities,” it said in a statement.
“In an effort to protect the integrity of the league… the federation with immediate effect provisionally suspended these individuals pending the investigations of the matter by the Fifa and FKF integrity department.” In February 2020, Fifa banned four Kenyan players – one for life – for taking place in an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches. Five Kenyan referees were later suspended over the same scandal.
The organisation advised all FKF members to “avoid any sporting-related contact” with the suspended players and coaches during the suspension period.
Away from the above scandal in Kenya, Two Algerian tennis players were also banned for match-fixing.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) also banned two Algerian players from the sport after charging them both with match-fixing offences.
Mohamed Hassan was banned for life, while Houria Boukholda was issued a two-year ban, 18 months of which were suspended. Hassan was also fined $12,100 and Boukholda $10,000, with $9,000 suspended. Hassan, 27, had a highest ATP ranking of 1,476 and was found guilty of 29 offences relating to seven matches between 2016 and 2018, while 20-year-old Boukholda was found guilty of 15 offences relating to five matches in 2017 and 2018.
