Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to annul the Harambee Stars’ quarter-final defeat to Madagascar in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and either award the match to Kenya or order a replay.
Through lawyer Arnold Oginga, Sonko lodged a formal petition citing bias and unlawful officiating during the hotly contested clash at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which ended in heartbreak for Kenya following a 4-3 penalty shootout loss.
The petition, filed under Article 43 of the CAF Statute, claims the officiating team unlawfully disallowed two legitimate goals scored by Kenya without consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system or involving team captains, coaches, or other officials in the review process.
“The conduct by the match officials in the Kenya versus Madagascar quarter-final game is greatly prejudicial to the Republic of Kenya and contravenes the spirit of sportsmanship, loyalty, integrity, and ethics,” the petition reads in part.
Sonko argues that under the CAF Code, match officials — including referees, assistant referees, commissioners, inspectors, and other appointed personnel — carry joint responsibility for ensuring fairness. He accuses them of conspiring, either by act or omission, to deny Kenya a fair opportunity to reach the semi-finals.
Among the remedies sought is the nullification of the referee’s decision to cancel Kenya’s two goals, annulment of the penalty shootout results, and the awarding of victory to Harambee Stars. In the alternative, Sonko is asking CAF to schedule a replay of the quarter-final clash.
The petition further demands that the referee and his team be reprimanded for breaching CAF’s Code of Conduct and Statutes.
Kenya’s impressive CHAN run, which saw them advance to the last eight in style, came to a crushing end on Friday night. The hosts were eliminated after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat, sparking outrage among fans who believed the officiating tilted the match in Madagascar’s favour.
CAF has yet to issue an official response to Sonko’s petition, but the case adds a fresh twist to Kenya’s dramatic exit from the continental tournament.
