Ushuru FC’s recent move to terminate contracts of 20 players has drawn the ire of Kenya Football Welfare Association (KEFWA). 

The taxmen, who play in the National super league, were given notice by the club’s management last Friday in a letter signed by acting CEO Stephen Mathenge.

“We regret to announce to you that we will be ending your term of employment with us as of July 1, 2020.

Please consider the aforementioned date as your last day of work. This is done in compliance with the minimum notice period required by your contract,” the letter read in part.

That communication has prompted a furios reaction from KEFWA chairman James Situma who termed the move by Ushuru’s management inhumane. 

“In this difficult moment of Covid-19, we must have some empathy. Indeed, most of the affected players might have had their contracts elapsing but the management should have been considerate and may be allowed the players sometime before the transfer market comes.

I feel the issue is sensitive and we must come in because we have received the complaints at our offices already,” Situma told the medias.

“The letter just speaks about the players being free to talk to other teams but it is unrealistic because nobody knows the direction of this coronavirus pandemic which will affect them and leave them vulnerable,” he added.

• Ralph Hasenhuttl put pen to paper on a new four-year contract at Southampton
• First team assistant coach Richard Kitzbichler has also extended St Mary’s deal
• Hasenhuttl was appointed Southampton manager back in December 2018
• They were in relegation zone when he took over, but he steered them to safety 
• He has also overseen an impressive response this term after terrible run in form

Southampton have confirmed that manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has signed a new four-year contract.Hasenhuttl has committed his long-term future to the south coast club and put pen to paper on an extension that will run until 2024.

His first team assistant coach Richard Kitzbichler has also extended his deal and will continue to work as part of Hasenhuttl’s first-team coaching team of Craig Fleming, Dave Watson, Kelvin Davis, Andrew Sparkes and Alek Gross.

Austrian Hasenhuttl said: ‘This, for me, was a simple decision. Simple because of the relationship that I have built with the club, the players and the fans, and also because of the relationship they have built with me too.

‘I said when I arrived at the club that we were at the beginning of a long journey, and also a journey that would bring emotion and hopefully enjoyment. We have already had some moments where we could celebrate together, and some that have been emotional and also challenging.

‘The way we have handled this together as a group of people has been incredible for me, and I believe we now have strong foundations here that can allow us to take the next steps in our progress as a team.

‘For me, this is an important step in the journey. My players, our staff, and of course the supporters must understand my commitment to this club and to what we are trying to build together.

‘We value the same philosophies, and this is a big part of why I want to stay here, and I hope we can share in some very successful moments moving forward.’

Hasenhuttl was appointed Southampton manager in December 2018 on a two-and-a-half-year deal succeeding Mark Hughes when they were in the bottom three but successfully steered them to safety.

Hasenhuttl and Southampton were rocked when they slumped to a record 9-0 defeat at home to Leicester in October that left them 18th in the table.

But Hasenhuttl oversaw an impressive response, leading Southampton to seven league wins in 11 games between November and January to climb up the table, and they went into football’s suspension 14th and seven points clear of trouble.

Hasenhuttl and Southampton have both mapped out a long-term vision for the club and the Austrian has spent part of the lockdown period working on the club-wide philosophy he hopes to see implemented in the coming years and he now has more time to oversee after signing a new deal.

Southampton CEO Martin Semmens said: ‘From day one, Ralph has had a positive impact on the club, everyone within it and our fans. He joined our club at a time when strong leadership was needed to drive the club forward. This he delivered, but it was the clarity of vision that has ultimately led us to this point.

‘It is clear to me that Ralph believes in this club and is passionate about the project we have ahead of us. He understood who we are very quickly, and over the last six months has developed a vision for the club that we believe will lead us back to success on the pitch. A new philosophy on the pitch, but very much rooted in our values and history.

‘To be competitive within the Premier League you simply cannot stand still. We need a clear plan that is rooted in hard work and the development of young players on and off the pitch. Ralph brings to us experience of winning, but more than that, an absolute commitment to his philosophy and the development of all age groups at the club.

‘To witness first-hand the recovery of the first team around Christmas under his clear leadership has given us all a template of how to drive the club forward. It is important now that the club, led by our Director of Football Operations Matt Crocker, put in place all the support structures around Ralph to produce success, not just for the remaining nine games of this season, but into the long term future of the club.

‘There has never been any question in my mind that Ralph is the right man to lead our club, and I look forward to working in partnership with him over the next four years. I know there is no one who will work harder to bring success back for our fans.’

Tiger Woods said on Monday he has always respected U.S. law enforcement but that their use of force on George Floyd, the 46-year-old African-American man who died while in police custody, clearly crossed a line.

Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white Minneapolis police officer, was arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges, after cellphone footage showed him kneeling on Floyd’s neck.

“I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force,” 15-times major champion Woods said in a post on Twitter Monday. “This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line.”

Numerous prominent athletes, including NBA great Michael Jordan, have spoken out as anti-police brutality marches and rallies boiled over across the country.

“I remember the LA riots and learned that education is the best path forward,” said Woods, 44, referring to six days of civil disturbances in 1992 after four white police officers were acquitted of beating African-American man Rodney King.

“We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods that we live in.

“I hope that through constructive, honest conversations we can build a safer, unified society,” added Woods, who at 21 became the first black golfer to win the Masters in 1997.

England forward Jadon Sancho was among a number of sports stars adding their voice to worldwide protests against racism on Sunday. England forward Jadon Sancho was among a number of sports stars adding their voice to worldwide protests against racism on Sunday.

Thuram took a knee after scoring for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the game against Union Berlin. Sancho marked his goal for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn by lifting his jersey to reveal a T-shirt bearing the words “Justice for George Floyd”.2 d

 Elsewhere boxing great Floyd Mayweather offered to cover the funeral expenses for George Floyd

The former five-division world champion’s promotional company, Mayweather Productions, confirmed on Twitter that he had made the offer, and several local media reports have said the family have accepted.

Mayweather Productions and the boxer’s agency have yet to respond to a request for comment.

MELBOURNE – Rugby Australia is in talks with the government about allowing New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina’s teams to enter the country and be based in a “hub” for a condensed Rugby Championship later in the year.

After a two-month lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, Australian authorities have allowed sports to restart domestic competition but international fixtures remain in doubt due to travel curbs and border controls.

“We’re exploring with the Australian government whether that can be a bubble here in Australia and we fly in all of the SANZAAR partners and they are in a training bubble and then we can quarantine effectively and play a competition,” RA interim CEO Rob Clarke told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

SANZAAR, comprised of partner rugby unions in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, is the governing body of the four-nation Rugby Championship and Super Rugby.

Australian and New Zealand officials have spoken for weeks of opening up a “trans-Tasman bubble” of restriction-free travel between the two countries, which have reduced COVID-19 infections to a trickle.

New Zealand Rugby did not provide immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.

Clarke confirmed RA was trying to extend the annual Bledisloe Cup series between the Wallabies and All Blacks to four tests from the usual three.

“It’s a great product, gains a lot of attention and we feel at least a four-game series is something we can work into the calendar this year to work for them and us,” Clarke said.

RA said on Monday it would lay off a third of its full-time staff along with dozens of contactors and casual workers to cope with financial pressures brought by COVID-19.

Clarke said RA’s high performance programs would not be affected.

Football Kenya federation president Nick says the Federation will wait for Fifa’s advisory on the same

He said FKF will not be part of the football stakeholder’s meeting called by Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) slated for Tuesday, June 2.

The Tribunal has asked all football stakehholders to converge for the round table meeting in a move aimed at finding the way forward regarding the elections which are set to be conducted this year.

 In a letter addressed to SDT chairman John Ohaga and signed by incumbent Nick Mwendwa, the Federation has stated it will wait for Fifa’s advice regarding the matter.

Mwendwa has further stated the Federation will not be part of any negotiations regarding the matter until the world football governing body makes a decision.

Here is the letter to Ohaga, dated June 1, signed by Mwendwa and obtained by Uzalendo news

“We refer to your Direction No. 4 dated May 28, 2020, calling upon unspecified stakeholders to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, from 2.30 pm. 

“Football Kenya Federation has considered the said direction in view of the contestations that have taken place before the Tribunal since early October last year when the so-called challengers began their challenge by mounting a spirited attempt to halt the Federation’s Annual General Meeting which was slated for October 5, 2019, and resting with the Tribunal’s decision of March 17, 2020, wherein the Tribunal rendered itself regarding the dispute between parties. 

“The Federation is of the considered view that this contest between it and the challengers has gone full circle through a heavily contested litigious and adversarial process which culminated with the Tribunal’s decision of March 17, 2020. 

“Furthermore, the Tribunal’s decision of March 17, 2020 made no positive order directing or requiring the Federation to undertake any process(es) or to perform any act. Consequently, any process to be initiated or undertaken under section 59 of the Sports Act would essentially be a mediation process coming after a hotly contested adversarial litigation process rather than at the beginning of the contest.

“Ideally, a mediation process is party-driven and voluntary. Usually, negotiations in mediation are undertaken before an impartial and neutral third party without decision-making powers. In any event, the stakeholders of football in Kenya comprise of many other parties and entities outside these proceedings. 

“Moreover, the Tribunal requested Fifa to consider installing a normalization committee for the purpose of inter alia, holding the elections of the FKF. The Tribunal is well aware of the position taken by Fifa on its request to Fifa and by dint of Article 14 (1) (a) of the Fifa Statute, the Federation is duty-bound to comply with the directives already taken and communicated by Fifa to the Tribunal via its letters dated March 25, 2020, and April 6, 2020 copies of which the Federation has already forwarded to you in a previous communication. 

“Therefore, following that communication by Fifa and bearing in mind that Fifa is expected to communicate a way forward to the federation after the Covid-19 pandemic is contained and/or is over, FKF will await Fifa’s direction and communication on how FKF will conclude its elections and which communication will be shared with the Tribunal. 

“Subsequently, we are unable to engage the Tribunal on the discussion slated for tomorrow or any day thereafter on account of the foregoing.”

In the race to occupy the hot seat at Kandanda house areVeteran administrator Sam Nyamweya, former Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye, Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda and former FKF Deputy CEO Herbert Mwachiro are expected to attend.

Forward Odion Ighalo has extended his loan deal at Manchester United until January 2021.

Ighalo, 30, joined United in January from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, initially until 31 May.

There is no option for the Premier League club to buy the Nigeria international.

“It’s been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish what he started and win a trophy with us,” said United Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“Shanghai Shenua have been great towards us, allowing him to play for his dream club.”

Ighalo has scored four times in eight appearances for the Old Trafford side, including a goal in the 5-0 Europa League win over LASK on 12 March, which was United’s last competitive match before the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Premier League season is set to resume on 17 June.

United are fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games to play.

Solskjaer’s side are also in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and have that five-goal lead going into the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against LASK.

With empty grounds greeting the return of Danish football, FC Midtjylland came up with a creative way of ensuring their fans were able to get close to the action while also remaining at a safe social distance for Monday’s home game with AC Horsens.

Two big screens were set up in the stadium’s car parks, with supporters invited to park up in their vehicles, tune in to the commentary on their radio and follow the match.

More than 2,000 parking spaces were made available for the game, the fifth to be played in the Danish Superliga since the sport returned to action last Thursday.

However, the home fans drove away disappointed, with league leaders Midtjylland surprisingly going down 1-0 to a 36th-minute Louka Prip goal.

The club remain 12 points clear at the top of the league, with one game to play before the championship round.

Here, the top six clubs split from the rest, carrying their points forward for a 10-game mini-league to decide the division’s eventual winner.

He will be responsible for developing the Kenya rugby league technical structures in all levels from grassroots, community and club rugby.

The 43-year-old’s mandate will also include formulation of high performance plan for players, coaches, referee and affiliate clubs.

Ayimba is an accomplished Rugby coach of both the short and full version of the game. He boasts of immense wealth of experience of over 15 years both as a player and in the coaching units.

” After a long walk in what seemed like ages, we are now able to play a spot that suits the Kenya rugby footballer and give us a real chance at the World Cup,” Ayimba said.

As a player, Ayimba has turned out for both local and international clubs with a two season stint in the United Kingdom.

Kenya Rugby League Federation Chairman Nyakwaka Quicks said ‘‘acceptance of Ayimba as the Technical Director is a big motivation and a big asset for rugby league owing to his achievement in the sport. We are confident he will establish effective technical structures for clubs and partners.

Kenya rugby league is strengthening its Coaching and Technical units, in readiness for its league kick-off and maiden international Test match, later in the year.