Which way FKF? Mariga laments, calls for calm heads in unlocking Prem…

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 31, 2026 – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice president MacDonald Mariga has waded into the bubbling waters of the Premier League fiasco, asking stakeholders to comply with High Court rulings on the guidelines to apply in the 2026/27 season.

Seemingly rooting for the application of the 2019 regulations, Mariga has called on stakeholders to respect the decisions and work together to get the league up and moving.

“Recent court directions have provided important clarity on the application of the FKF 2019 Rules and Regulations in commencing the 2026/27 season, including the mandatory play-off which those rules require. This clarity should now provide an opportunity for all parties to step back, respect the decisions of the courts, and most importantly, work together towards an orderly and lawful resolution,” he said. ipl-today.in

The former Harambee Stars midfielder further lamented the lack of proper administrative and governance structures in the league, which he feels puts clubs and players at a disadvantage.

“We must also ensure that the administrative and governance structures necessary to run our competitions are properly constituted and functional. The league should not merely kick off; it must kick off on a clear, lawful and administratively sound footing. Clubs invest significant resources in preparing for a season and deserve certainty regarding the competition calendar, rules and structures,” Mariga explained.

His statement comes amid uncertainty on when the new season is set to start, even as the federation released fixtures indicating that Matchweek 1 would kick off on Monday (August 31).

However, this elicited cries from clubs, which felt that the decision was rushed.

Football in the courts

Earlier, the league was scheduled for August 29 but was put off in accordance with a stay order from the High Court in Nairobi, pending the hearing of a case filed against the relegation of Kariobangi Sharks from the top tier.

The Nick Mwendwa-owned club have long complained over their relegation under the 2025/26 guidelines, which decree that the bottom three teams will be axed to the National Super League (NSL) — with the top three in the second tier earning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Under the previous regulations (2019), Sharks — who finished 16th — would have played Mombasa United — who finished third in NSL — in a playoff, in a fight for survival at the elite level.

Already, they lost an appeal at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), which decreed that FKF undertook proper public participation on the new regulations before eventual ratification by its National Executive Committee (NEC).

However, a ruling by the High Court in Murang’a on Friday evening provided some respite, ordering that the league proceed, but under the 2019 guidelines.

The ruling has further thrown the game into disarray as clubs that have signed more than five foreign players — under the 2025/26 regulations — grapple with how to handle the matter — considering that previous guidelines capped the number at five.

Who suffers most?

As the tug-of-war rages, Mariga has lamented the mental anguish experienced by players at this moment, noting that it is a predicament he empathizes with.

“I have spent my life in football. I know what the game means to our players, clubs, coaches, supporters and the millions of young Kenyans who dream of one day representing their country. It pains me to see that energy being overshadowed by institutional disagreements and more importantly, by non-adherence to the FKF constitution,” he said.

One hopes that the pain he is undergoing will propel the former Inter Milan and Parma midfielder to take the bull by the horns by calling all the stakeholders to order.

As a key member of the FKF politburo, he could convince his fellow honchos to thaw the hard stance and find a middle ground that will take the football away from court corridors and back to the pitch — where it belongs.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has accused All Blacks counterpart Dave Rennie of bypassing official channels by airing his grievances about the Boks’ scrum technique in public. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.

Rennie had suggested after Saturday’s second Test in Cape Town that the Springboks were “walking around” opponents in the scrum, comments that sparked widespread debate among pundits and former players.

MORE: Rennie renews Bok scrum gripe

“My frustration wasn’t so much about his opinion, but when an opinion gets presented as fact,” Erasmus said in Johannesburg after naming his team for the third Test at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

“There are now clear protocols for this. You get five clips to send to World Rugby’s officiating system, and that’s where you raise your concerns.

“If I sat here and said New Zealand are cleaning out illegally at the breakdown and the referees must look into it, that’s not the protocol, that’s talking to referees through the media, and I’ve been burned for that before.

“Once you put a narrative like that out there, everybody starts focusing on it – all the media, all the podcasts, everyone starts analysing it – and a lot of people doing that analysis have no real knowledge of scrums.”

RASSIE: We’re not f**king walking around!

Erasmus added that while he wouldn’t call himself a scrum authority either, he trusts the methods of scrum coach Daan Human.

“We would never tell the team to walk around the opposition, that’s not our strength, that’s not how we do things.”

The Bok coach insisted he was not opposed to Rennie speaking his mind – “I’m not frustrated that Dave wants to get his point across, there are plenty of things I’d like to say about New Zealand too” – but pointed out the constraints coaches operate under.

“I only have five clips I can send in after a match, so naming other incidents publicly would go against the protocol, because that’s meant to go through the system. We don’t want to put more pressure on referees through the media.”

MALLETT: Rassie, Rennie ‘off-the-cuff’ jibes a distraction

Despite the friction, Erasmus stressed the disagreement was not personal.

“I’m friends with Dave, and I understand what he’s trying to do.”

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

The post Rassie fires more shots at Rennie appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Orlando Pirates will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the Betway Premiership standings when they face Kruger United at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit tonight (kick-off is at 7.30pm).

The Buccaneers are currently tied on 10 points with second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, but occupy top spot due to their superior goal difference.

Their hosts, Kruger United, sit at the bottom of the log standings after collecting just one point in their opening four matches of their first season in the top flight.

With games coming thick and fast for Pirates, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou will likely change his starting line-up and once again give youngsters like Mpho Padime and Simphiwe Masilela a chance to shine against the newly promoted Premiership side.

Ouaddou introduced the two youngsters in the second half of the 3-0 win over Sekhukhune United in the second leg of the MTN8 at the Orlando Amstel Arena this past weekend. And the Moroccan was pleased with how they played in the match.

Ouaddou warns Pirates youngsters

Speaking after the game in Orlando on Saturday, Ouaddou issued a stern warning to Padime and Masilela and other Pirates youngsters, urging them to prioritise their physical health and professional discipline.

“Not only him (Mpho Padime}, I think we can include Masilela in the talk. Well, done to both of them. I think Pirates is a club that is giving chances to the young. It’s not the first time, and we continue the process. They did very well, we saw they have great potential,” said Ouaddou before giving advice to the Pirates academy graduates.

“Now, they must keep on working, they must keep on being humble, listening to be coachable. It’s only the first game. A career is a minimum of 10 years. When I have an opportunity to give them game time, definitely I will give them.

“But they must still work and be very professional because in football you can go high quickly, but you can fall quickly as well.

“Well done, keep working. Be careful about your life. You have to be professional. Think football, you train, you go home, you rest. You eat good, you drink water and not something else. Don’t smoke, don’t take things that can destroy your body,” added the Moroccan.

Kaizer Chiefs winger Faiz Abrahams expressed his gratitude for the opportunity after making his debut for the Soweto giants.

Abrahams made his debut for Amakhosi in their 2-2 draw against Richards Bay in their Betway Premiership encounter at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban.

The 21-year-old will be hoping to get the opportunity to make his second appearance when Amakhosi take on Siwelele FC at the Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday.

Abrahams also assessed his performance, the team’s missed chances and the challenging conditions, while insisting there are areas they will work on moving forward.

“It was my first time travelling with Kaizer Chiefs,” Abrahams told his club’s official website.

“It felt good to be included and I appreciate the coach’s belief in me. I have worked hard since I arrived and I am grateful for the support I have received and honoured to be playing for this great Club.”

“The coach told me to go out there and create chances for us to get back into the game.

“I think I made a few opportunities that we might have scored from, so I am quite happy with how I did.

“We played well enough to win the game but we had a couple of misfortunes which we will definitely work on cutting out going forward.

“The conditions made things a bit difficult. It was windy as well which made controlling the slippery ball difficult but overall, I think the guys coped well in the circumstances.”

The post Abrahams Reflects on First Chiefs Appearance appeared first on SportsClub.

Rassie Erasmus welcomed Kurt-Lee Arendse back into the Springbok starting XV for Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, while explaining the need for continuity.

Erasmus made four changes and one positional switch to the team that beat the All Blacks 33-26 in Cape Town to level the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

The front row of Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw, who were moved to the bench shortly before kick-off in Cape Town, return to the starting lineup. Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit revert to the bench.

An injury to Damian Willemse sees Cheslin Kolbe shift to fullback and Arendse come onto the right wing.

Arendse was initially included in last week’s team, but dropped out when Kolbe was cleared to play.

TEAM: Kolbe at fullback for Calabash clash

“It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series,” Erasmus said. “We thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan.”

Erasmus said Willemse and flyhalf Handré Pollard (calf injury) were both unavailable, making continuity important.

“By sticking to these combinations and making one switch with Cheslin at fullback, we thought it would be the best for this match.

“Kurt-Lee was unlucky not to play last week after Cheslin recovered from his niggle, so we are pleased to see him back. He is a quality player and his 25 tries in 33 matches so far shows the type of player he is.”

MORE: Kolbe keen on another ‘Blou Maandag’ for Kiwis

Erasmus also explained his decision to revert to the front row originally selected to start the second Test.

“We decided to change our front rows last week due to the weather conditions, and Johannesburg weather is different to Cape Town, so we thought this would be the best decision for us this weekend.

“Gerhard, Thomas and Deon have played massive games for us, and at the same time know how to deal with pressure.”

ALSO: ‘Rassie the Lex Luthor of rugby’

With the series locked at 1-1, Erasmus expects an All Blacks response similar to the one demanded of his own team after their opening defeat at Ellis Park.

“We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team,” he said.

“They are one of the two best teams in the world and based on experience, they never give up, as we saw last weekend.

“After two games, we are both into hard Test rugby mode, and we have a good idea of what to expect from one another, so it is going to be another grind of a match.”

MALLETT: All Blacks ‘lucky’ at scrum time

Erasmus expects the stakes to raise the intensity further at the 94,000-capacity FNB Stadium.

“This game is going to be equally, if not more intense than the last two,” he said.

“With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field, so we are all thrilled about this occasion.

“But make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the two top teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series.”

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

The post Rassie: Kurt-Lee’s a quality player appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.