Anger flared up among fans in Kenya on Tuesday after the referee was attacked and ejected from the stadium in Nairobi due to a penalty decision during an important match.
The match was between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United, who were competing for a spot in the top division next season. When Kariobangi Sharks were leading 2-1, referee John Sulve awarded a penalty to the opponents.
Players surrounded Sulve, started pushing him, after which the crowd rushed onto the field. At one point, a plastic seat flew through the air, narrowly missing his head. The referee had to leave the field and was escorted by stewards; the match was interrupted in the 68th minute.
The Kenyan newspaper The Standard published a photograph showing Sulve receiving a punch to the face from a man in a yellow cap, calling the incident 'shameful' and a 'disgrace'. Neither the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) nor the teams themselves commented on this event.
The situation was exacerbated by the fact that the match was originally an attempt to resolve a dispute between the two clubs. Kariobangi Sharks had been relegated from the Premier League last season and were supposed to yield their place to Mombasa United. Sharks were challenging their relegation in court, claiming it was based on new league rules that had not yet come into effect.
To avoid a prolonged confrontation, the FKF, which has long suffered from corruption scandals, organized a playoff between these two teams to settle the issue.