OPINION: Is FKF Encouraging Hooliganism?

In 1904, during the Olympic Marathon in St. Louis, a man named Frederick Lorz crossed the finish line first to thunderous applause. He was greeted as a hero, photographed with Alice Roosevelt, and nearly draped in gold before anyone realized he had actually hitched a ride in a car for eleven miles of the race because of exhaustion. He didn’t finish the race; he simply decided the race was over when it suited his legs. He was, quite naturally, banned for life (though he later talked his way back in).

The point is, sports generally frown upon the "I’m done now" method of determining a winner. Unless, of course, you are the FKF National League and Competitions Committee.

On December 21, 2025, at Dandora Stadium, the SportPesa League witnessed a peculiar sort of magic. Nairobi United had just equalized through Ovella Ochieng in the 58th minute, leveling the score at 1-1 against Gor Mahia.

But here is the crucial distinction that the FKF seems to have conveniently airbrushed: the match did not stop because of violence. The referee blew his whistle to halt play due to objects being thrown onto the pitch and a general breach of security. At that moment, it was a temporary pause—a standard "cool down" period. The violence that followed in the stands was what prevented the match from resuming. In the eyes of the law, there is a world of difference between a match that is killed by a riot and a match that is simply waiting for the dust to settle. By ruling the match a draw, the FKF has effectively decided that if a mob prevents a restart, the previous 58 minutes are "good enough."

The 75% Rule (Or Lack Thereof)

The committee took five weeks to deliberate, only to emerge with a decision that ignores their own mathematical safeguards. FKF Rule 3.3.2 gives the Committee "absolute discretion" to let a score stand, but it adds a very specific caveat: "particularly if at least 75% of the match had been played."

Simple math—the kind they teach before you’re old enough to throw a flare—tells us that 58 minutes is roughly 64% of a game. By upholding a draw, the LCC has essentially declared that the final 32 minutes—nearly a third of the contest—were irrelevant.

In the past, we’ve seen the "norm" applied correctly. When matches are interrupted by "force majeure" (the committee's favorite fancy French phrase for "we don't know who to blame"), the remaining minutes are traditionally played the next morning behind closed doors. We saw this in the Zoo Kericho vs. Chemelil Sugar match of 2017. Why was that same logic not applied here? Was the 10:00 AM sun too bright for the committee?

By ruling a draw, the FKF has set a precedent more dangerous than any hooligan. They have sent a clear message: If you are losing momentum, or if you simply don’t think you can survive the final 30 minutes against a mounting attack, ensure the match cannot resume. Under this new "FKF Logic," violence isn't just a crime; it's a strategic timeout. If the outcome is decided by the status quo at the moment of chaos, then chaos becomes a tool for the team under pressure.

The committee’s decision feels less like a pursuit of justice and more like a "soft" compromise designed to appease everyone after a five-week delay. They likely hoped that by splitting the points, both parties would walk away "satisfied." But Nairobi United wasn't even present when the ruling was made, and Gor Mahia—who were hunting for a late winner to solidify their title lead—have essentially been robbed of 32 minutes of opportunity.

The FKF LCC has hitched a ride in Frederick Lorz’s car. They didn’t want to run the full distance of a difficult logistical decision (like rescheduling the remaining minutes), so they just declared the race over at the 58-minute mark.

If we allow matches to be decided by the clock of the rioter rather than the clock of the referee, we aren't watching a league anymore; we're watching a suggestion. The FKF needs to remember that a football match is 90 minutes long—not 58 minutes plus "whatever the mob decides."