Thabit named acting Kenya football secretary

NAIROBI, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's football authorities have appointed Mohammed Thabit as Football Kenya Limited (FKL) acting secretary-general, replacing the sacked Sammy Obingo.

Thabit is no newcomer to football, he is a former sports officer with sports ministry, who once served in the defunct Kenya Football Federation (KFF) as an executive officer. In a nutshell, he was a government sports officer seconded to KFF.

He takes the place of Obingo who was sacked earlier in the week for turning into personal use air tickets meant for journalists covering the junior national teams participating in recent international invitational friendlies.

FKL officials confirmed Thabit's appointment on Sunday.

But Obingo, a former secretary-general of the defunct KFF, and also ex-secretary of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), rubbished the claims saying they were nothing more than mere witchunt.

He claimed he was hounded out off office for unearthing scandals involving top FKL officials-chairman Mohammed Hatimy, first vice-chairman Titus Kasuve and second vice-chairman, ErastusOkul.

But FKL officials declined to comment on Obingo's allegations.

Meanwhile, U.S.-based striker Taiwo Atieno, has been called up by senior national team coach Antony Hey, for the September 5 FIFA World Cup-cum- African Cup of Nations finals group qualifier match against Mozambique in Maputo.

This is the third cap this year for the 23-year-old striker, who renounced his British citizenship earlier in the year to play for Kenya.

Taiwo, the son of a Kenyan journalist Musa Awuonda and a British mother, initially held a British passport.

But he swapped his nationality to Kenya and acquired a Kenyan passport in his first call up earlier in the year.

Eager to play for Kenya, he did not make the Kenyan team that succumbed 0-3 to Nigeria in a first leg qualifier match in Abuja, Nigeria.

Hey called him up for the match against Mozambique here in June, but he was only fielded.

This time round, Taiwo who play for American side Rochester Rhinos, looks forward to being in the pitch for 90 minutes. Kenya pipped Mozambique 2-1 in the first leg tie.

Kenya, fighting for a place in both the 2010 World Cup on South Africa and Nations Cup finals in Angola, is pooled together with Nigeria, Tunisia and Mozambique in Group 2 of the qualifiers.

Tunisia, former African soccer champions are leading the group standings with seven points, followed by Nigeria, also former African soccer kings, are in the second spot with five points.

Kenya is in third spot with three, while Mozambique is at the bottom with one point. The provisional national team, comprising of home-based players is training in Nairobi ahead of the match against Mozambique.

The provisional squad will be joined by foreign-based professionals who are expected to starting arriving this week.