Football fans who bought tickets for the opening matches of the 2026/27 SportPesa League have been left waiting for clarity after the Football Kenya Federation postponed the start of the season until further notice.
The Football Kenya Federation communicated the postponement to participating clubs in the early hours of Saturday, September 19, as teams and supporters prepared for the opening fixtures.
For fans who had already paid to watch their teams, the immediate question is what will happen to their tickets and money.
The response from clubs has not been the same.
FKF Postpones League: Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards Give Different Ticket Updates
Gor Mahia has told supporters who already bought tickets to keep them, while AFC Leopards has announced refunds.
The club was scheduled to host Murang’a Seal at Nyayo National Stadium in its opening league match.
In a statement to supporters, the club said the fixture had been postponed after the federation called off all league matches.
“We regret to inform all fans that our season opener match against Murang’a Seal that was set for today at Nyayo Stadium has been postponed until further notice; the Federation has postponed all league matches,” Gor Mahia said.
The club apologized to supporters who had made plans to attend the match and addressed the issue of tickets directly.
“For fans who had already purchased tickets, please do not worry. Your tickets remain valid and will be honoured when the season officially gets underway,” Gor Mahia said.
The club added that it would keep supporters informed once it announces a new kick-off date.
AFC Leopards, however, has taken a different approach.
The club was scheduled to face Bandari FC at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, September 20, but that fixture was also called off after FKF decided to postpone the league.
In its official communication, AFC Leopards said the cancellation had affected supporters who had already made plans to attend the match.
“AFC Leopards wishes to inform its supporters that our FKF Premier League opening fixture against Bandari FC, scheduled for Sunday, 20th September 2026 at Nyayo National Stadium, has been cancelled by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF),” the club said.
The club apologized to supporters and then provided a specific update on tickets.
“All supporters who purchased tickets for the fixture will receive direct communication on the refund arrangements by close of business on Tuesday, 22nd September 2026,” AFC Leopards said.
The club urged ticket holders to wait for official communication on the refund process.
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Other clubs have also informed their supporters that their opening fixtures have been postponed, although their statements have not provided the same level of detail on refunds.
Ulinzi Stars, which was scheduled to play Tusker at Ulinzi Complex on Saturday, said the match had been postponed and that details on the new date and ticket information would be communicated later.
“Details regarding the rescheduled date and ticket information will be communicated in due course,” the club said.
Shabana also informed supporters that its match had been postponed, while Police FC said its fixture would be rescheduled after the federation’s decision.
Mara Sugar said its opening match against 3K FC had also been postponed and apologized to supporters for the inconvenience.
Mathare United, which was due to play APS Bomet, said the commencement of the 2026/27 season had been delayed.
“Regrettably, due to unforeseen circumstances in the early hours of Saturday, the commencement of the 2026/27 Premier League season has been delayed and will not take place as originally scheduled this weekend,” Mathare United said.
APS Bomet separately confirmed that it had received official communication from FKF that the league kick-off had been postponed until further notice.
What FKF Said
In the notice sent to participating clubs and partners, FKF said the league kick-off had been postponed until further notice.
“We regret to inform all participating clubs and Partners that the League kick-off has been postponed until further notice,” the federation said.
FKF also said it would issue a fuller explanation.
“We will provide a comprehensive statement with regard to the details surrounding the postponement. Kindly accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused,” the federation said.
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Why FKF Postponed the League
The postponement came only days after FKF had confirmed that the 2026/27 SportPesa League would begin on September 19. The federation had announced the date after a court ruling that allowed the competition to proceed under the 2019 FKF regulations while legal disputes over the rules continued.
However, the Murang’a High Court on Friday barred the commencement of the 2026/27 season until a promotion and relegation playoff involving Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United is played.
The order followed an application by Evans Nduta, who challenged the commencement of the league alongside his substantive case concerning the application of the FKF 2025 regulations.
Sitting at the Murang’a High Court, Lady Justice Dorah Chepkwony directed that the matter be heard on Thursday, September 24.
The court also directed FKF president Hussein Mohammed and Leagues and Competitions head Frank Ogolla to appear in person on Tuesday, September 22, after they were cited for contempt of court on multiple occasions.
In a separate case at the High Court in Kiambu, the Centre for Litigation Trust successfully sought orders directing FKF to include Mombasa United in the 2026/27 league.
The organisation moved to court under a certificate of urgency and obtained ex parte orders directing that the Mombasa-based side be included as the 18th club in the competition.
The latest development has left clubs waiting for further direction, while supporters wait to learn when the matches will be played and, in cases where tickets have already been bought, whether those tickets will remain valid or be refunded. Â
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