In a shocking incident, three match-fixers were arrested on Friday night after they were caught trying to influence the outcome of an upcoming match between Nairobi City Stars and Sofapaka.
The game was set to occur on Saturday 11th, Match 2023, March 11th, at Kasarani Stadium Annex. The match-fixers, identified as Russian Akhiad Kubiev, Ugandan Bernard Navendi, and Kenyan Martin Munga Mutua, were caught in the act by the police after a tip-off from a former KPL player, Festus Omukoto. Omukoto had been contacted by Kubiev, who wanted to fix the match.
Omukoto then contacted James Situma, a former Kenyan international and head of the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA). Situma was informed about the plot details, and he then contacted the CEO of Nairobi City Stars, Patrick Korir, who in turn got in touch with Samson Otieno, the director of City Stars.
Samson then called in three players and strategized how the match-fixing would occur. Korir then contacted the police, and the match-fixers were tracked down to the central business district. From there, they proceeded to Thika, where they arranged a discreet meeting venue at the Hideout restaurant.
At the meeting, the match-fixers revealed their plan to the players. They wanted City Stars to concede in the first 10 minutes of the match and keep the scoreline 0-1 in favor of Sofapaka until half-time.
The match-fixers then instructed the players to ensure that between the 70th and 80th minutes, the opponents did not have the ball. If City Stars were to score at this point, they would allow Sofapaka to achieve again to ensure the latter won by a two-goal cushion.
Kubiev, the leading man behind the deal, then joined the group and said that payments would be made after the game. No down payment was to be made as the match-fixers had experienced problems when players received a down payment but refused to operate according to the agreed plan.
At this point, however, the police swooped in, and the match-fixers were arrested. The match between Nairobi City Stars and Sofapaka went as planned the following day with no evidence of match-fixing.
The Football Kenya Federation has condemned the incident, saying that match-fixing has no place in Kenyan football. It has also warned players, directors, and other officials to be on the lookout for match-fixers and to report any suspicious activity to the police.
The incident has highlighted the seriousness of match-fixing and how it has become a lucrative business for match-fixers and their rogue agents and associates. They will stop at nothing to manipulate matches, and it is up to the authorities to clamp down on the vice to maintain the integrity of the game.