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'Very painful': Adagala reacts to Muhoroni Youth's relegation by Fifa
Muhoroni Youth chairman Moses Adagala speaks during a past press conference.
What you need to know:
- Adagala noted that the club, based in a slum area, has served as a lifeline for many local youth by providing a constructive outlet and shielding them from crime.
- However, the club’s administration has faced frequent criticism for alleged use of violence to intimidate visiting teams and journalists at their home ground, Muhoroni Stadium—claims that Adagala has consistently denied.
Muhoroni Youth FC chairman Moses Adagala has termed Fifa’s decision to relegate the club over match-fixing allegations as “very painful”, describing it as a major setback for the Kisumu-based community that depends heavily on the team.
On Friday, Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee announced the expulsion of Muhoroni Youth’s senior team from the National Super League (NSL) to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Division One after the club was found guilty of manipulating match results.
Speaking to Nation Sport on Saturday, Adagala expressed shock at the ruling, saying the club is now awaiting legal advice on possible next steps.
“We are waiting for our legal team to advise us on the way forward but it is something that has shocked us,” said Adagala.
“It is very painful because our team has been in existence for 19 years and it helps the community around a lot. It is not just football alone that we are involved in.”
Adagala acknowledged that the club has long harboured suspicions about some players being involved in match-fixing but said they have always taken action where there was credible evidence.
“We have been complaining about some of our players whom we suspect are fixing our matches. We have taken action where there is strong evidence just like recently we suspended two of our players after we found out that they tried to convince their colleagues to manipulate the results of our match (NSL) against Kibera Black Stars.”
Fifa’s statement did not specify which matches were involved in the fixing scandal.
Until their expulsion, Muhoroni Youth were placed 18th on the NSL standings with just 23 points. Nairobi United topped the table with 58 points.
“Kenyan club Muhoroni Youth have been found guilty of activities related to the manipulation of football matches and competitions, and the club’s senior team have consequently been expelled from the Football Kenya Federation National Super League.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has further ordered the relegation of the Muhoroni Youth senior team to the Football Kenya Federation Division One League ahead of next season," said the Fifa statement.
Muhoroni Youth first gained promotion to the FKF Premier League in 2011 after winning the now-defunct Nationwide League.
Their biggest highlight came in 2016 when they beat defending champions Gor Mahia 1-0 to lift the Top 8 tournament trophy.
After several years away from the spotlight, the club returned to top-flight football in the 2023/24 season by acquiring Wazito FC. However, they were relegated after a poor campaign.
Adagala noted that the club, based in a slum area, has served as a lifeline for many local youth by providing a constructive outlet and shielding them from crime.
However, the club’s administration has faced frequent criticism for alleged use of violence to intimidate visiting teams and journalists at their home ground, Muhoroni Stadium—claims that Adagala has consistently denied.