Trouble is brewing at AFC Leopards’ den after players boycotted training on Thursday demanding their two-months’ salary arrears.
Ingwe players have not received their August and September salaries owing to the lack of a sponsor. This is after the giant betting firm, Sportpesa which was Ingwe’s only sponsor terminated its partnership with the club over a tax-row with the government.
The playing unit held a meeting after Wednesday training and agreed not to attend training from Thursday until their arrears are settled. They have even threatened to boycott Saturday’s match against Sony Sugar.
“We are suffering because it’s not easy to survive in Nairobi without a salary for two months. The management is not doing anything about it, all they do is give empty promises, we are tired. On Wednesday the chairman and other officials were present at the training ground but left before we finished training without addressing us, it’s clear that they were running away,” a dejected player told Opera News.
“We may not show up for Saturday’s game. We have bills to pay families to fend for. Football is the only job we know and it’s upon the club to ensure that our welfare is well taken care of. We work hard in training and strive to win matches, it’s only fair that they pay us on time,” another added.
Efforts to reach club chairman Dan Shikanda bore no fruits as calls went unanswered. However, a senior figure within the club hierarchy speaking on condition of anonymity revealed that the management is doing all it can to get funds that will be used to settle the arrears.
“We are trying our best. These players need to understand that this is not our making, we have been paying them on time but we are facing a challenge because our sponsor pulled out, it’s something that everyone in the country knows,” the source stated.