The international governing body of soccer Fifa has banned four East African players (three Kenyans and one Ugandan) from all football-related activities for match manipulation.
This is after Kenyan Premier League (KPL) club Kakamega Homeboyz filed a complaint on the same allegations last year.
The three Kenyan players, Festus Okiring, Festo Omoto and Moses Chikati who play in the KPL have each been handed four-years ban, while the Ugandan player George Mandela being banned for life for playing a central role in match-fixing.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found the players guilty of having been involved in match manipulation in violation of Article 69 of the disciplinary code.
“In particular, given his central role in the conspiracy, the player George Mandela, Uganda, has been banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for life,’’ Fifa wrote on their website.
Homeboyz Chairman Cleophas Shimanyula raised an alarm last year when a section of players confided in him that some of their colleagues were fixing games.
This led to the sacking of the then head coach Paul Nkata and assistant Hamza Kalanzi.
