NAIROBI, Kenya—It is a sigh of relief in the 2026/27 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League stalemate after Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United agreed to contest the promotion and relegation playoff to allow the top-flight league to finally kick off finally.
Both sides have agreed that the high-stakes tie will feature newly registered players, resolving one of the core sticking issues that had previously stalled negotiations.
The two-legged battle will kick off in Mombasa on October 1, before both sides head to Nairobi for the return leg on October 6.
The dispute over the playoff and changes to the rules by FKF in 2025 that led to court cases had forced FKF to postpone the opening rounds of the new season to avoid legal repercussions.
“There are moments in the life of a club when the greater victory is not simply proving that you are right, but protecting the game you love. Mombasa United FC remains fully convinced of the legitimacy of our position and the sporting journey that brought us to this point,” Mombasa United said in a Statement on Thursday.
“However, in the wider interest of football, our players, our supporters and the people of Mombasa, we have made the difficult decision to accept the playoff. This decision is not a surrender, nor is it an admission that our position was wrong. It is a sacrifice made to end an impasse that has kept football away from where it truly belongs,” the statement continued.
-More to follow-
