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After playing in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Division One league for the past 12 years, Bomet County-based club Silibwet FC is set to play in the National Super League (NSL) for the first time next season if FKF’s pronouncement that the team has been promoted is anything to go by.
The club, which was formed in the 1980s, has been playing in the lower-tier league, the FKF Zone ‘B’ since 2008, and attempts to seal promotion to the NSL have been fruitless.
On Thursday, FKF president Nick Mwendwa announced that the football season had been concluded prematurely due to unpredictable nature of coronavirus pandemic.
On March 13, the government suspended all local sports activities and social gatherings in a move to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The Ministry of Sports also declared all golf courses and national sports venues closed. While publicising the decision to prematurely end the season on his tweeter account, Mwendwa cited the threat from Covid-19.
At the time the league was suspended in March, Silibwet were at the helm of FKF Division One Zone ‘B’ League table of standings with 32 points after 15 matches, four points ahead of Soy United. Soy United were placed second with 28 points, having played the same number of matches.
Mwatate United was promoted from Zone ‘A’ while Soy United will play against MCF in a play-offs.
Speaking to Nation Sport yesterday, the club’s head coach Lenny Kigen said they were happy with the decision that they had been promoted, saying they have been longing to gain promotion.
“We knew that this would be our last season in Division One and everybody in the team was determined to do his best, something that made us register impressive results,” Kigen said.
“My boys are ambitious and I hope we will compete we in the second tier though it’s much competitive,” said the tactician.
Last season, the club missed out on promotion after Vihiga Bullets and AP Bomet were elevated to the NSL.
Silibwet is a community club which entirely depends on well-wishers for support, something that has made them register poor performance in previous campaigns.
The club has partnered with Keroka Technical Training Institute (KTTI) on an exchange programme that will see talented students from the institution incorporated in the team.
“More than 75 per cent of our players are students at KTTI but we have a few who play professional football,” said the club’s team manager, Eric Rono.
He has cited lack of sponsorship as the main challenge for the team which earlier this year reached the round 16 of Betway Cup after Vihiga United failed to show up at Gisii Stadium for their match.
