EXCLUSIVE: Veteran coach exposes three fixed matches, ready to name involved players
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Reading Time: 6min | Wed. 08.10.25. | 18:59
The tactician listed some of the matches he suspects were fixed and individuals who were involved
On Friday, 2 May, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) captured the attention of the public with a press release confirming the relegation of Muhoroni Youth FC from the National Super League (NSL) to Division One due to their alleged involvement in match manipulation.
Very few, within the Kenyan football circles, were privy to the investigations that unearthed the vice at the club, although the outfit had for a long time made headlines for the wrong reasons, including potential cases of match manipulation.
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The world’s governing body and other stakeholders worked overtime to ensure that the investigations, including questioning, evidence gathering, witness testimonies, hearings, and other processes, did not go beyond the earshot.
So much was filtered that the public was only left guessing who, within or outside the club, might have possibly been involved, with loads of unanswered questions touching on the findings, beneficiaries of the vice, accomplices, among others, yet to find a satisfying answer.
Months later, Kenyans cannot precisely tell what happened at Muhoroni.
All they can do is speculate on who did what with whom and which matches might have been influenced.
However, Mozzart Sport dared to dig deep, with one man candidly opening up on what he considers to have sealed Muhoroni’s fate and other suspicious activities, especially in the lower tiers.
Coach Phelix Ogutu, in an exclusive interview, did not sieve or mince his words regarding what he termed widespread match manipulation at the condemned side and across the smaller leagues.
Ogutu, a CAF B-licensed tactician, has coached several clubs across Kenya’s lower divisions, including Transfoc, Muhoroni Youth, SS Assad, and Gusii FC.
Despite his qualifications and experience, he has always struggled to push teams beyond relegation battles, a record he is strongly convinced that match-fixing is to blame.
"I am deeply disappointed. I think I am one of the most affected coaches by matches which I suspect were fixed," he opened up while settling in for the interview.
Naming clubs, citing matches
Having conceded that he harboured a strong conviction that teams he had coached were infiltrated by fixers, it was only fair to probe further, a process that quickly brought up Muhoroni’s name.
The tactician alleged that the club had long promoted match manipulation before eventually being nabbed by FIFA.
“If you ask me whether there is match-fixing at Muhoroni Youth, the answer is yes. It has been happening for a long time,” alleged Ogutu.
When pressed for evidence, Ogutu could only reveal matches that he believes were thrown away for financial gain by unnamed individuals.
He listed between Tusker FC and Muhoroni Youth (then branded as Wazito FC) at Ruaraka Grounds and another one against Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu Stadium.
The two matches were played in the 2022-2023 season, just after FKF regained control of the domestic leagues after a season that was under government-installed committees.
He alleges that the manipulation was orchestrated from within.
“The team manager at the time was deeply involved. He had come from Western Stima, a team that sold its slot and had at least eight players previously linked to match-fixing scandals.
Instead of being questioned and a serious background search conducted, he walked straight into a new job at Muhoroni Youth,” he claimed.
He cited open disagreements with the then team manager, from the very first match of his tenure, against Ulinzi Stars, and the lack of scrutiny over some of the suspicious activities of the management, for his belief that the team enabled the vice.
Further, he fingered the management of the club for turning a blind eye to some of the suspicious happenings.
“The leadership has never been held accountable. It is always the players who carry the burden,” he went on.
Case 2
After leaving Muhoroni at the end of the 2022/2023 season, Ogutu had stints at Gusii FC and SS Assad.
He later returned to Muhoroni for a second stint mid-2024/2025 campaign.
He had all the reasons to believe that the club had made significant steps towards professionalising their day-to-day activities.
However, he says, the leopard had not changed its spots, prompting him to take matters into his hands.
"I came back to get the team out of relegation, but I was mistaken; the same things kept happening, and I had to dig deeper," he said.
Ogutu revealed that he eventually decided to go on a fact-finding mission, especially after a suspicious draw against Darajani Gogo (In April) in which his players conceded a goal in stoppage time under strange circumstances.
“I suspected that my goalkeeper, Collins, and defender Erick were involved. After that, I started my investigations,” he claimed.
He describes a covert operation ahead of a match against Kibera Black Stars in Nairobi as one that confirmed his fears.
A day before the game, Ogutu claims he uncovered a shocking scene: five players — including Collins and Erick (he only provided a single name) — in a video call with someone he labelled as “the investor,” planning to throw away the game.
“We interrogated the players. They confessed to receiving help from external individuals. We even had to use force to extract the information because some had been hidden," he said.
In another explosive revelation, Ogutu alleges that a 4–0 loss to APS Bomet at Muhoroni Stadium was also allegedly manipulated.
He said that some of his players, whom he declined to reveal their identities, were paid to throw the game, with one deal promising Ksh 40,000 for every penalty conceded.
Muhoroni Youth’s response
When reached for a comment, Muhoroni Youth CEO Thomas Omusasia told Mozzart Sport that the club had long harboured suspicions about their former team manager, but lacked evidence to nail him down.
He revealed that fallout between the former employee and her partner brought shocking revelations to light, including disturbing claims about how funds were obtained to support unethical activities.
“For this season, we received a tip-off and decided to go undercover. We managed to catch several players just before our game against Kibera Black Stars,” he said, although it is not clear what the players attempted to do.
Omusasia further disclosed that the club allegedly reached out to the Football Kenya Federation multiple times, requesting investigations into certain players, but received no response.
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The youthful CEO also revealed that the club had asked for a special transfer window earlier in the year, after realizing a significant portion of the squad had been compromised.
He strongly denied the club's involvement in any wrongdoing and assured that more information would be shared once the investigations are complete.
“We are committed to integrity and will cooperate fully to ensure the truth comes out,” he stated.
Team manager’s response
Our attempts to reach the team manager in question were successful, but he declined to be named or comment officially, citing the sensitive nature of his current role.
However, he hinted at having left the club due to alleged instances of match manipulation, stating, "Nothing happens at the club without the knowledge of the management."
Silence from the top
Despite all this, Ogutu says the club’s leadership never once addressed the allegations or distanced itself from the vice.
"Not a single official from Muhoroni Youth has ever been punished or suspended. The federation knows. 'Everyone' knows.”
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Frustrated, the coach has since taken a break from the game. But he remains committed to exposing the truth.
“I have a lot more evidence. When the time is right, I will present it to the proper authorities.”
Our contact at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) did not comment on the matter despite repeated attempts to hear their side of the story.
