Finally, Leopards' chickens come home to roost

It's no wonder the team is not performing anymore.

Last weekend, angered club fans, unable to take it any more, took it upon themselves to 'discipline' the players after their side lost 1-0 to Western Stima. It was comical as they chased them around with whips, demanding to know why they cannot perform on the pitch!

“These boys must be taught what it means to play for AFC Leopards. They are shaming the jersey and the club emblem,” said one angry fan.

But it is not only the indiscipline of the playing unit that is the cause of the poor performance at the den. The management too has its share of blame for failing to guide the team to prosperity.

After months of internal feuds, the elections in June were expected to bring in change, but expecting change at the den is like expecting Ingwe to adopt green colour in their official playing jersey, the more there is change, the more things remain the same.

The club recently fired coach Ivan Minnaert for poor performance, but the new stand-in coach Ezekiel Akwana has not done any better. Minnaert is demanding Sh8million for wrongful dismissal, which means the players will be the ones to suffer.

Leopards are already paying former coach Pieter de Jongh for similar reasons. Several player, who were dismissed earlier in the year, are also still in the club’s payroll.

Internal sources indicate that while the club is not getting a penny from KPL grants (the money is offsetting debts owed to former players), the club has also exhausted the Sh45million annual shirt sponsorship from Sportpesa.

The new office inherited only Sh10,000 left by the Interim Management Committee and currently, the club has debts amounting to over Sh30 million, which is owed to former players and suppliers.

The players said they are owed a backlog of training and victory bonuses (Leopards last won a game on August 6, when they beat Ushuru 3-2).

“There is low morale in the camp because our interests are not being taken care of,” one player told this writer.

Club chairman Dan Mule said while there are some teething problems the management is facing, efforts are being made to stabilise the club.

“We have to sort the chaos that was there in the previous management. We also need to put our house in order, while at the same time, address some issues including discipline cases within the playing unit,” said Mule.

Leopards are 12th with 29 points and now pray to stay afloat and survive the chop.