This is Just Sad

One of Bill Shankly's more colorful if not likely misquoted lines goes something like: "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."

Here's the thing about that: it's wrong. It really is just a game. In yesterday's Champions League semi-final there was a place in the final at stake. And outside of a large pile of money and and even larger trophy, not much else.

That's what makes the following story so hard to fathom:

[Suleiman Alphonso Omondi], an Arsenal fan in soccer-mad Kenya hanged himself following his team's 4-1 aggregate drubbing by arch-rivals Manchester United in the Champions League semifinal, police said on Wednesday.

According to one of his friends, they had been watching the match at a local pub, and after the final whistle Omondi left crying. Police said he had hanged himself in his Arsenal shirt.

This is just really, really sad. No other word for it.

We live and die with our teams at UF, but thankfully only do so in a figurative sense. Yesterday was rough for the Gunner-loving contingent over here (and obviously across the world) but our "death" ends at the disappointment of watching your rival have its way with you while you kind of lay there and take it.

So yeah, this is sobering. Maybe the guy had other things going on in his life. Let's hope that an Arsenal loss wasn't the sole reason for his hanging himself. Not that that would make it less sad. There's another season starting up less than four months and, unfortunately, Omondi won't be around to witness it.

Read more on "This is Just Sad"...

Kenyan Football officials don't check their due dates

Have you ever been late paying a credit card bill? Health insurance premium, even a magazine subscription? Well, the Kenya Football Federation [KFF] knows what that's like, except in their case, they forgot to pay their national dues.

Just four hours before an African Champions League match between Eritrean champs Al Tahrir and Kenyan champs Tusker, the Confederation of African Football [CAF] called off the game because the KFF had not sent in their $6500 subscription fees, and suspending the KFF from all continental club competitions until the matter is resolved.

Not only that, but Tusker spent close to $60,000 preparing the game-that-never-happened. D'oh.

The Kenyan government's Commissioner for Sport, Gordon Oluoch, is pissed, saying that the KFF knew the ban was coming and still went ahead with pre-game arrangements:

"What is more baffling is to let the Eritreans stay in Kenya for a whole week under such circumstances. The most honourable thing to do is to resign and let those who want to run the sport do so."

KFF's secretary general, Sammy Obingo, is adamant that he sent in the check on February 11th, although the CAF could not verify that they'd received it. In the meantime, Obingo's planning a trip to Zurich today to meet with FIFA regarding the matter, and he is confident that Tusker will be reimbursed.

Pressure is mounting for the Kenyan soccer chiefs to resign following the disgrace, but KFF chairman Mohamed Hatimy is playing a stout defense:

"We paid the amount in full on Feb 11 and yet we were still barred from playing. Rwanda, which was also barred by CAF, were allowed to play after confirming they sent in the money to CAF."

Damn Rwandans. Always catching those lucky breaks.

Read more on "Kenyan Football officials don't check their due dates"...