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Disquiet reported in AFC Leopards camp with players said to be unhappy over high-handedness

Monday, July 12th, 2021 00:00 | By
AFC Leopards players react after losing 3-1 to Bidco Utd in a Betking Premier League match at Ruaraka grounds. PD/David Ndolo

Trouble is brewing at AFC Leopards over an alleged frosty relationship between the team’s head coach Patrick Aussiems and senior players.

Impeccable sources within Ingwe intimated that a section of the players have raised the red flag over alleged ‘high handedness’ of some of the technical bench officials who have advised  the management not to extend their contracts despite being an integral part of the team.

In essence, Leopards have lost the services of goalkeeping duo in Ugandan Benjamin Ochan and John Oyemba as well as Harambee Stars trialist Clyde Senaji, Hansel Ochieng and Said Tsuma even before the quintet see off their respective contracts.

Save for Ochan who is reportedly on his way to Vipers FC in his native Uganda, the rest of the players who are Kenyans have yet to find teams but several suitors are already drooling over their services.

“The situation here as pertains to relations between players and the technical bench is dire. 

The coach (Aussiems) feels that some of the senior players have been a bad influence on their younger counterparts by inciting them against the technical bench staff,” said the source which declined to be named.

Acrimony is also said to have reached a point where younger players in the team want to follow in the footsteps of the older lot in search of greener pastures and especially given that they have been taken in circles by the management over a default in settling their salary arrears.

For the cash-strapped Leopards, matters came to a head when long-serving captain Robinson Kamura was stripped of his arm band besides the ever-green Austin Odhiambo, whose contract has ended, being substituted by Aussiems in the 54th minute of the Shield Cup final against Gor Mahia on July 4 at Nyayo National Stadium.

Good  money

Odhiambo, who gave his all against Gor and was also not paraded in last weekend’s BetKing Premier League match which Leopards won 2-0 against Bandari, had earlier been quoted by a section of the press, saying that he was on his way out of the Den if his terms will not be improved.

 “I read somewhere that I have three years remaining with AFC Leopards which is not true. Why can’t the management put things straight,?’’ posed Odhiambo.

Added Odhiambo: “If Leopards want me to stay, they should step forward and pay me all my money. That is the only way for me to stay and play for them next season,’’

Odhiambo, who is linked with a move to Gor Mahia, also revealed that he was on the radar of several teams and is open for an ideal choice.

“Honestly, I have gotten offers with good money  from several clubs which have decided to buy my contract out,” said Odhiambo.

In the meantime, Leopards players are up in arms with the management over what they described as being paid a pittance from the Sh1 million the club received for finishing second in the FKF Betway Cup.

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