The legal team of former Kenyan defender George Owino will next week file an application for stay orders at FIFA to temporarily suspend his 10-year ban for match manipulation.
Owino was on Wednesday handed a lengthy ban after being found guilty of playing a part in manipulating matches at national team level for betting purposes.
But on Thursday, the former Harambee stars lawyer Felix Majani said they will appeal the decision and are ready to go as high as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to see the ban either lifted or shortened.
“We will go in to file for stay orders next week to see whether the ban can be temporarily halted pending the determination of our appeal. I have already written to FIFA and ask them to furnish us with the entire decision so that we can begin our appeal process,” Majani said.
If FIFA decides not to give the stay orders, Owino’s legal team will battle to see the decision overturned and this will start at FIFA’s own Appeals Committee.
“We are prepared to follow the entire due process, but ready to go all the way to CAS because we believe we will get a fair ruling there. Once we get the whole decision that includes the background and the findings, then we can put up our appeal,” Majani stated.
He added; “This will definitely take time and can stretch up to two years at most. It is a long journey but we are prepared to take it. It will not be easy but I will do my best, first to get the stay orders then to get the decision overturned.”
FIFA made this ruling on Wednesday and included more sanctions for the nine others who were banned for life after extensive investigations found them guilty of manipulating games for financial gain through betting.
