This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
Philemon Otieno, a key player for Harambee Stars at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, is struggling to make ends meet after undergoing correctional surgery at a Nairobi hospital to repair his damaged knee ligaments.
According to sources close to the player, Gor Mahia officials have not checked on him since his surgery, leaving him feeling stranded.
Furthermore, the club has not paid his salary for the past two months, despite other players receiving a stipend of Sh42,000 from the management.
‘He appears stranded. Nobody (at the club) has called to check on him. We understand the team is facing some financial challenges but the players have twice in the past month received some stipend from the management amounting to Sh42,000 but he (Philemon) was left out,’ the source told Nairobi News on October 10, 2019.
Philemon's struggles began a year ago when he suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Harambee Stars in August. The Football Kenya Federation and his club publicly differed on who should foot his treatment, leading to a six-week ordeal.
Eventually, the player had to reach out to his colleagues and teammates, with Stars assistant captain Michael Olunga leading the line, for donations to raise about Sh200,000 needed for the surgery.
