Kenya faces FIFA sanctions as state declines to pay ex-coach

   NAIROBI,  March 12  -- Football Kenya Federation (FKF) risks FIFA sanctions after the government insisted it shall not honor outstanding payment owed to a Belgian coach who was formally in charge of the country's senior national team.
   World football governing body gave FKF until Wednesday to pay over 109 million shillings (1.043 million dollars) owed to Adel Amrouche who won a case against the federation for wrongful dismissal from his post in August 2014.
   This was after FKF president, Nick Mwendwa, asked for the federation to be given a week to approach the government to settle the arrears citing it was broke and could, therefore, not afford the settlement.
   Speaking to local media, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture, Dr. Amina Mohamed, said the State would not step in to pay the Algerian-born Belgian or other former Harambee Stars coaches owed by the federation.
   "No government in its right senses would fork out Sh109million to pay an individual for the mistakes of an irresponsible federation. I don't understand it," Amina told a local publication.
   She went on to slam FKF for lack of prudent management that has seen successful claims lodged against it by foreign coaches who were unduly fired from the national team.
   "It is baffling to expect the government to pay for the irresponsible behavior of a federation seeking to abdicate its role," she added.
   As a result of the stand-off, FIFA could take yet to be specified sanctions against the federation including barring Kenya from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers or a blanket ban from football.
   Last October, FKF was ordered to pay former Stars head coach, Bobby Williamson over 531,000 million dollars for wrongful dismissal after the Scotland tactician was relieved his duties in February 2016 when Mwendwa came to power.
   Amrouche served under his predecessor, Sam Nyamweya, and was relieved of his duties after being banned by continental body, CAF for unsportsmanlike conduct in an AFCON qualifier.
   He had been found guilty of spitting at the fourth referee during Kenya's Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Comoros in Moroni in May 2015 but upon appeal, the coach was cleared but was nonetheless sacked from his position. Xinhua