Kenyan football headed in the right direction,says Ali Amour

Two days after Kenya Premier League record champions Gor Mahia lifted Madaraka Cup on Wednesday at Nyayo national stadium, Football Kenya Federation Transition committee member Ali Amour has exuded confidence that local soccer is progressing well.

Amour who doubles up as the committee chairman of leagues and competitions said it is a matter of time before the country’s lost glory of the sport is restored

“Fans paid bus fare from far end to come enjoy the game in a midweek and this tells of overwhelming passion Kenyans have football which brings them together regardless of political affiliation, tribe,among others.Organisation of the game and officiating met high standards and there were no incidents of chaos reported despite the intense nature of the fixture.

“Those who didn’t manage to come to the stadium enjoyed the proceedings through livestream and also on tv and that is why we are emphasising on the aspect of digitisation of the game to help in revenue generation” he said

K’Ogalo were crowned champions of 95th edition of Mashemeji derby after beating their arch-rivals AFC Leopards 6-5 through penalty shootouts. The tie had ended 1-1 during the regulation time.

1/4 Sports CS @AMB_A_Mohammed and PS @JoeOkudo were among thousands of fans who watched Madaraka Day exhibition match between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/9LbgTbO4Ta

— Ministry Of Sports, Culture & Heritage (@moscakenya) June 2, 2022

Amour said with proper structures in place,the national team Harambeee Stars wil be a force to reckon with in competitive football immediately after world football governing body, FIFA lifts the indefinite suspension imposed earlier this year over claims of government interference.

“What we are doing now as interim committee mandated to run football operations in the country is laying foundation meant to revive the dwindling standards of the sport. Kenya will stylishly bounce back from the situation we’re in and all local football fans will have something to smile about. We are using this window to put our house in order so that when the suspension is over Harambee Stars competitively participate in the international tournaments” added Amour.

Amour is pushing for digitisation of football in a bid to push local teams and stakeholders extend their horizons to the realms of digital marketing to improve how they engage with fans and provide digitally powered sponsorship initiatives.

He is also seeking to introduce a program that would see ex footballers both men and women acquire training to help them transition into the match commisioners responsible for overseeing the technical organization of the game in compliance with the applicable laid down regulations.