Sofapaka has responded to Bandari’s Ken Odhiambo who accused the club of using substandard balls during their match on Sunday where Bandari narrowly won 1-0 at Ukunda Grounds in Mombasa.
Odhiambo, who also had a stint with the club, vehemently accused his former team of not providing quality balls, referring to them as “supermarket balls.”
“The quality of the balls the teams bring is concerning. They bring supermarket balls to the match. What kind of Premier League is this if we are using such substandard equipment?
Bring quality balls so we can play good football,” Odhiambo passionately told Tata Sports.
Odhiambo further criticized the club for its financial struggles, asserting that teams without sufficient funds should not compete in the top flight.
“If you don’t have money, get out of the league. Stay at home. What are you doing in the league if you can’t afford to compete? If you lack financial resources, let those with the means stay in the league, because the quality of the game suffers when the balls you provide are subpar,” he added.
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In response, Sofapaka condemned Odhiambo’s remarks, emphasizing that the FKF Premier League does not operate with standardized match balls.
The clubs in the league, including Bandari, use various ball brands.
The club labeled the coach’s comments as unnecessary and misleading, accusing him of creating distractions and making excuses.
“Firstly, regarding the match balls, it is important to emphasize that the FKF Premier League currently does not use standardized match balls. Different brands of size 5 balls are used by various clubs, including Bandari,” the club’s statement read.
“The claims made by Coach Ken, despite his team being the home side, that our soccer balls were substandard are misleading and serve only to create unnecessary excuses and shift focus away from his own coaching performance. These statements are inaccurate, and we find it unfortunate that such self-serving remarks are being used to distract from the actual game.”
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Regarding the financial criticism, Sofapaka acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by many Kenyan football clubs, including Bandari.
They pointed out that individually owned clubs are particularly struggling with funding.
“Secondly, on the issue of financial constraints, we acknowledge that many of our Kenyan football clubs, including his own, face challenges. Individually owned clubs are navigating even more severe financial difficulties. We believe that these matters should not be used as post-match excuses. Our local football clubs are working hard to overcome these challenges, and everyone’s priority, in whatever capacity, should be finding sustainable solutions to advance the sport, rather than fabricating false narratives,” the statement continued.
The club also urged the head coach to act responsibly, considering his awareness of the struggles faced by clubs, and to refrain from criticizing others.
“As a tactician who has worked with our club before, Coach Ken should understand the struggles that individually owned clubs like ours face. We work tirelessly to find sustainable solutions to improve our clubs, rather than making privileged remarks that divert attention from questionable on-field coaching decisions in a heavily funded team.”
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“Football is a game of results, and while emotions often run high after matches, we always strive to show respect for the sport and, most importantly, our opponents. As Sofapaka FC, 2009 Kenya Premier League champions, we remain committed to the integrity of the game and to the growth of our club and Kenyan football,” the statement concluded.