Gor Mahia, Kakamega Homeboyz, and Tusker have received a huge boost after the Football Kenya Federation’s First Instance Body (FIB)  granted them licenses to feature in CAF football next season.

The three top-tier clubs have been given the licenses after they met the CAF club licensing requirements. The three clubs are the ones that stand a chance to take part in the Champions League and Confederation Cup in the 2023–24 season.

CAF requirements

The power to approve or reject the application for licenses of any club lies with the First Instance Body (FIB), which is an independent decision-making committee set up by all of CAF’s member associations to review clubs’ license applications.

Five clubs were invited by FKF to apply for club licensing after a CAF circular was issued earlier this month regarding the club licensing process and requisite criteria. The top four FKF Premier League clubs as well as the finalists of the FKF Cup Competition are the clubs that were invited.

The clubs were required to make their applications and present documents that adhere to five-pillar criteria: sporting, infrastructure, personnel, administrative, legal, and financial.

Deadline

By Thursday, June 15, which was the deadline, Kakamega Homeboyz, Gor Mahia, and Tusker FC had submitted their applications. The clubs that could not beat the deadline and make their applications are Kenya Police and Nzoia Sugar.

It was surprising that Police did not get clearance despite the fact that they announced their acquisition of Thika Queens as their women’s team.

Among the requirements by CAF for any club to participate in its competitions, a club must have a women’s team besides that of men.

Gor Mahia and Tusker have yet to announce their women’s teams so far, although the Breweries have affirmed that they are going to acquire one.

Documents presented by Tusker, Gor Mahia, and Kakamega Homeboyz were scrutinized before FIB ascertained that the clubs had met the minimum requirements set out in the CAF Club Licensing Regulations. The three clubs are now waiting for the CAF Club Licensing Committee to ratify the granted licenses.

The application and subsequent acceptance mean that Kenyan clubs are set to feature in the CAF interclub competitions after FIFA lifted the ban seven months ago. No club from the country participated in CAF club competitions last season because Kenya was under a joint FIFA-CAF ban.

Gor Mahia, Tusker, and Homeboyz have chances to take part in the continental club competitions because of their league standings or qualification into the FKF Cup final.

CAF football

Gor and Tusker are the clubs that can participate in the Champions League because they are the only clubs that can win the Premier League. 

Homeboyz and Tusker can get a continental ticket as they are the finalists in the FKF Cup. The team that wins the domestic cup will represent the country in the Confederation Cup.

Should Tusker win the league and the FKF Cup, Homeboyz will automatically get a chance to appear on the continental podium by being this year’s finalists.

Meanwhile, FKF general secretary and Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno affirmed the federation’s commitment to adhere to the regulations for club licensing.

“Club Licensing is singularly the most viable pathway to ensure professional management and sustainable development of our football.”

“For a long time, we have focused on a national football administration structure, yet our roots, the clubs, are built on quicksand structures. Club licensing introduces a critical framework to strengthen football at the foundation of the game. As a Federation, we are committed to guiding the clubs to meet standards to ensure professionalism and sustainability,” Otieno said.

The club licensing process for the FKF Premier League clubs will start within the month of July before the 2023–24 season kicks off in August.