Former Harambee Stars midfielder Innocent Mutiso has strongly criticized Abud Omar’s actions during Kenya’s Mapinduzi Cup match against Zanzibar, calling for the defender to be permanently stripped of the national team’s captaincy.

The match, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Kenya and saw the team eliminated from the tournament, was marred by Omar’s controversial behaviour. After receiving a second yellow card, the captain grabbed the red card from the referee in a heated exchange, sparking further skirmishes on the pitch.

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Mutiso, speaking on TV 47, did not hold back in his assessment of Omar’s conduct, “I don’t agree with what Abud Omar did. A captain epitomizes the team; he’s the custodian of the team on the pitch,” Mutiso said. “When your captain is at the forefront confronting the referee and even allows other players to continue confronting the referee it’s unacceptable. The fact that he went as far as getting physical with the referee and taking the red card is disgraceful.”

Mutiso emphasized the importance of composure and leadership from a captain during such situations, pointing out that Omar’s actions let down not only his teammates but also the entire country.

“As a captain, you are supposed to show a sense of composure, be calm, and move players away from the referee. You’re supposed to be the only one talking to the match official in such a situation. Instead, he let down a whole country, his teammates, the technical bench, and all of Kenya. We were in a good position to win the Mapinduzi Cup; it was the perfect litmus paper in preparation for CHAN. But where are we now? Indisciplined,” he said.

The former international expressed doubt about Omar’s future as captain under the new technical bench, urging the player to reflect on his actions.

“Whatever he did was wrong, and he should sit down and reflect. He shouldn’t have such a bad temper. I’m sure he will not see the captain’s armband again. That’s something I don’t think the new technical bench can accept,” Mutiso concluded.

The experienced Kenya Police defender has had a similar altercation in the FKF Premier League with the match officials which has raised serious concerns about his discipline as a senior player, with preparations underway for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN), the spotlight will now be on the technical bench to address such issues.

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