- Shabana FC suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Kakamega Homeboyz in an FKF Cup Round of 16 match played at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.
- Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi was left fuming, blaming the match officials for the contentious exit.
- Kakamega Homeboyz scored their goal in the first half through Moses Mudavadi and will now face Nairobi United in the cup quarterfinals.
Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi was left fuming after a controversial FKF Cup 2024/25 elimination at the hands of Kakamega Homeboyz on Sunday afternoon at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.
Homeboyz took the lead through Moses Mudavadi’s clinical strike in the first half.
Shabana, who dominated proceedings after the break, believed they had found a dramatic equalizer in the dying moments when substitute David Okoth slotted the ball home.
However, referee Isaac Hamisi ruled the goal out, citing a foul in the build-up a decision that sparked chaos.
The call led to a ten-minute suspension of play as furious Shabana fans nearly stormed the pitch. Despite their spirited comeback efforts, the reigning FKF Cup champions, Kakamega Homeboyz, held on to book a place in the quarterfinals.
The clash, which seemed destined for a penalty shootout, ended in heartbreak for Shabana. A frustrated Okidi lamented the officiating, claiming his side had done enough to take the match to penalties.
“There is no bad day in the office I do not believe in that. This is a match that was supposed to be determined through penalties. It is also a match where, tactically, we had a lot of chances in the second half, just as they dominated the first half and had their chances. We didn’t manage to capitalize on ours, but we had the chance to go into the penalty shootout,” Okidi told FKF Cup media after the match.
The tactician did noot hold back, calling out what he described as deteriorating officiating standards in Kenyan football.
But all I can say is that the referee gave our opponent the win. I hope if they qualify, the center referee will go with them to the CAF Confederation Cup next season, because whatever he has done today, he has lied to them,” he said.
I’m not afraid to say this, but this is what is making our football go down. Poor officiating is the core issue affecting our football. You give out fouls anyhow, and that’s why when we go into national matches, we cannot progress or reach greater heights—because we’ve normalized calling minor fouls that should not even be considered.
Anyway, all I can say is that there was no bad day in the office—this is a match we lost because of the referee’s decisions.”
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Shabana wasted chances
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Despite the disappointment, Okidi acknowledged his team’s missed opportunities, emphasizing that football is a game of fine margins.
That is football you can create many clear chances but fail to capitalize on them. But you can still get that one momentous chance, like we did today, which was ruled out for a foul. So this is a match that was supposed to end 1-1 and go into a penalty shootout. I’m still in pain, and I feel so much for those referees—they should work hard on their officiating.”
Meanwhile, Francis Baraza’s side will now face another formidable opponent, Nairobi United, in the quarterfinals.
United have already ousted top-flight heavyweights Tusker and KCB, proving their mettle in the tournament.
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