A prominent sports lawyer, Raphael Omala, has stated that a complaint filed with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) by former Nairobi Governor Gideon Mbuvi Sonko is unlikely to succeed.

During a live interview with NTV, Omala explained that Sonko lacks the authority to file a complaint against any match official.

Sonko’s petition requests that CAF charge the center referee and other officials with mismanaging a recent game.

“He cannot file a complaint because he is not a member of CAF, and secondly he is not a participant, therefore his petition cannot go far,” Omala said. He added, “The aggrieved party in this scenario is the Kenya Football Federation and Sonko cannot purport to be speaking on their behalf.”

According to court documents, Sonko wants the match nullified, arguing that Kenya’s exit from the tournament was a direct result of wrongful officiating.

He is also requesting that the semi-final match between Sudan and Madagascar be suspended until a ruling on his case is made.

In his application, Sonko states: “That the decision to disallow the two (2) goals scored by Kenya be SUSPENDED pending the hearing and determination of the instant complaint. That the results of the penalty shoot-out in the game between KENYA AND MADAGASCAR be SUSPENDED pending the hearing and determination of the instant complaint.”

Sonko alleges that the officials unfairly disallowed two Kenyan goals and failed to review the decisions using VAR (Video Assistant Referee) or consult with relevant parties, including team captains, coaches, and other officials. He further claims the officials showed bias in favor of Madagascar, to Kenya’s detriment.

The filing with the CAF Disciplinary Board lists the match officials as the first respondent. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF), Madagascar’s national team, and the Fédération Malagasy de Football are all named as interested parties.

Represented by Wanyanga and Company Advocates, Sonko argues that if interim measures under Article 12 of the CAF Statutes and Regulations are not granted, his complaint will be rendered moot, effectively denying him a fair hearing.

His application also cites CAF’s code, which defines match officials as referees, assistant referees, the fourth referee, match commissioner, referee inspector, security officer, general coordinator, and any other persons appointed by CAF or FIFA in connection with a match