In a stunning turn of events, AFC Leopards, the storied Kenyan football club, finds itself at a crossroads that could significantly impact its future in the FKF Premier League.
According to a source close to Kenyan renowned sports Journalist Kevin Teya, the club is now on the brink of being excluded from the upcoming season’s campaign if it fails to meet the deadline for resolving a contractual dispute with their coach, Patrick Aussems.
With the clock ticking, the football world is watching closely as the fate of this iconic club hangs in the balance.
The predicament stems from a directive issued by FIFA’s Disputes Resolution Chamber (DRC), which ruled that AFC Leopards must pay coach Patrick Aussems over Kes. 20 million for a breach of contract.
Astonishingly, the club has yet to honor this financial obligation, resulting in severe consequences.
Notably, the club has been banned from engaging in player signings, further exacerbating their current challenges.
Adding to their troubles, AFC Leopards faces another hurdle in the form of acquiring a license to compete in the upcoming FKF Premier League season.
The club’s failure to submit all the necessary documents to CAF’s Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) has left them in a precarious position.
The CLOP deadline which is today, set by CAF, is looming, and if AFC Leopards fails to meet the criteria, their participation in the league is at stake.
The gravity of the situation cannot be understated.
Should the club fail to reach an agreement with Coach Patrick Aussems or outline a feasible payment plan by the stipulated deadline, AFC Leopards faces an automatic relegation to the National Super League.
This would mark a devastating setback for a team that has historically been a dominant force in Kenyan football.
Patrick Aussems’ tenure at AFC Leopards has been marked by challenges, both on and off the field.
During his time as coach, the club grappled with several transfer bans, preventing them from registering players. Despite these obstacles, Aussems managed to guide the team to a respectable seventh-place finish in the recently concluded Kenyan Premier League season.
This accomplishment comes on the heels of a sixth-place finish in the preceding season and an impressive fourth-place finish in the 2020/21 season.
However, the unresolved matter of Aussems’ sign-on fee, which reportedly stands at Sh11 million, has cast a shadow over the club’s achievements.
