Former Harambee stars striker blasts Kenyans for attack on Gor Mahia over airport saga

Former Tusker FC and Harambee Stars striker Boniface Ambani [Courtesy]

Former Tusker FC and Harambee Stars striker Boniface Ambani has blasted Kenyans online for blowing the Gor Mahia issue out of proportion.

In a Facebook post, Ambani compared the K’Ogalo situation to Harambee stars and Tusker FC who found themselves in a similar situation sometime back when he was playing for them.

 

“Sleeping on floors of the airport has never been an issue. Don't blow up the Gor Mahia issue. This was Harambee Stars way back in the airport waiting for a connecting flight to Angola. Nothing can be done. You just have to wait. I took these pics for fun some ages back. So kindly stop blowing up the Gor Mahia players issue. It happens. All the time. Tusker FC iko siku were held up in an airport for close to 10hrs.  Nomaa. On transit. You just have to. Flights to Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia you'll always have to connect. At times the transit time is quite long and you can't do anything about that. While the airport you'll look for somewhere to rest. Which Gor players did. You can't leave the airport. Unless you have a transit Visa of that country. An airport is considered a no man's land.  So you will have to wait. 5 hours at the airport sio issue. We have gone through this and it will still happen. It still happens. It will never end. You arrive at the airport. Your next flight is 3-5 hours later. Utafanya Nini? You just can't jump into the next flight. You'll have to wait. As you wait you look for somewhere to rest or catch sleep as you wind up the hours. Have met so many teams stranded in airports. It's not the first and the last case. Let's approach this matter with sober minds. Unless those pictures were driving a different agenda,” wrote Ambani.

Photos of Gor Mahia players sleeping on the floor at Doha International Airport caused an uproar when they appeared online.

Photos of Gor Mahia players sleeping on the floor at Doha International Airport caused an uproar when they appeared online [Courtesy]

The players, who were on their way to Morocco to face RS Berkane in their CAF Confederations Cup quarter-finals return leg revealed that the club did not have funds to book a resting room for them.

Gor lost 2-0 against Berkane in Nairobi [Courtesy]

“We are currently resting on the floor in the waiting room. Our flight is at 12.00 midnight and the club says it does not have money to book a resting room for us, we have no alternative but find a way of passing time before we leave; we will arrive in Morocco in the morning. Definitely, we will be tired, but we will give our best, we felt it is good for the fans to know what is happening, “said one of the players.

According to reports, Gor were scheduled to leave for Morocco on Thursday but failed to acquire plane tickets on time. The club’s management was forced postpone departure to Friday when the first batch of players left.

The Green Army lost 2-0 to RS Berkane in their first leg played at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.