This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
Published on November 27, 2019, Nairobi News reported that AFC Leopards players Tresor Ndikumana and Vincent Abamahoro were unlikely to play in the upcoming Kenyan Premier League game against Nzoia Sugar in Mumias.
The two players had formally requested to leave the club, citing a lack of resources to attend training sessions.
According to a source within the club, the players were demanding that their salaries be paid in full or at least by half before they would consider playing for the club again.
Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda confirmed that the players had been paid their salaries for the past four months, but the club was struggling to meet its financial obligations.
Shikanda stated, “When you reach a point where we don’t have a steady income and the little we are getting from the gate collections are being channeled towards honouring fixtures and training facilities then things would definitely be thick.”
The team's financial struggles had begun when sponsors SportPesa stopped funding the team at the start of the season.
Leopards require approximately Sh15 million to pay the salary arrears, and two players, Malian forward Ismailia Diarra and Rwandan defender Soter Kayumba, had already left the club due to unpaid salaries.
