Pay football players well and on time

Long suffering Kenyan football fans will be disappointed to hear that the issue of unpaid allowances has hit Kenya’s most decorated football club.

As the 2018 World Cup bonanza continues in Russia, domestic wrangles have struck again at Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

On Wednesday, Gor players broke camp in Kisumu protesting delayed payments, accruing from winning the title last year, qualifying for the group stages of the 2018 CAF Confederations Cup as well as the recent SportPesa Super Cup triumph.

It is unfortunate that the record 16-time domestic league champions, who have also opened a 12 point-gap at the top of the log, have to resort to boycotts to earn what is due to them.

This is a huge indictment on the club management. It hurts the most that the management is composed of elected officials.

The impasse is also reportedly behind the shock exit of star striker and Rwandese international, Meddie Kagere.

Wrangles over finances have derailed the beautiful game in Kenya for decades. Football managers have not learnt to respect players.

The managers pay the players as tokenism and not part of the club’s success and forward-looking plans.

If clubs pay players well, they will attract skillful footballers and increase their value. Players should concentrate on winning trophies and not pleading for money to pay rent.