Kenya Premier League giants Tusker FC have been handed a walkover after cash-strapped Sony Sugar FC failed to show up for the league match that was slated for Saturday 19 October at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
Sony is facing financial problems after their sponsors Quantdragon Limited, who had presented themselves as a Hong Kong-based IT company, vanished without issuing a cheque to the club.
The team had not left Awendo for Nairobi by Friday 18 October evening putting the game in the balance.
Two weeks ago, Sony also handed AFC Leopards a walkover after they failed to honour their home game at Awendo Green Stadium. Since that day their players have not trained, with their head coach James Nandwa still holed up in Nairobi.
“We have not travelled for the match because we got no communication from the management concerning the game,” one of the players told Ducor Sports when reached.
Sony has been one of the five teams that have been calling for the league organizers to have the league halted until a new sponsor is brought on board after the exit of SportPesa. However, KPL governing council met and declared that the league will go on as scheduled.
The sugar millers are currently 16th in the KPL standings with three points from four matches.
Kenyan Premier League rules state that a club should be fined Sh500,000 for the first walkover, Sh1 million for issuing a second walkover and Sh1.5 million for three walkovers which comes with a further penalty of relegation to the National Super League.
Photo Credit: Sony Sugar FC/Rogers Odhiambo
