Where is ref’s money?
A section of match officials who took part in various leagues last season under the Transition Committee have accused the ex-government appointed body for non-payment.
The referees and match commissioners who sought anonymity are calling on the new Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to give them an ear, about one month later since the Transmission Committee exited the local game after the end of their extended tenure.
“Am owed close to Sh 80,000 by the Transaction Committee. Surely I don’t understand why I haven’t been paid my dues. Some of my colleagues have been paid and it is somehow confusing. It is really painful with such a situation and especially with no one to address the matter now that the Transition Committee is not in office,” senior assistant referee told people daily sports.
Another dejected centre referee has accused the Committee for rotating the issue and shielding the truth.
“We are being taken into circles and no one really wants to take the responsibility of the mess. It has been like a child’s play. You ask the match officials to appoint the person, he tells finance who then blames the payment scheduler,” he said.
The match officials claiming the unpaid dues are from last season’s FKF Premier League, National Super League, Division One and Women Premier League matches.
A document revealed to People Daily Sports shows a list of 57 match officials drawn from Zone B of the Division One league who have not received their deserved dues.
“I only received pay for one game out of the seven that I officiated last season. I don’t understand which criteria was used for payment considering the disparity,” noted a devastated assistant referee.
Some are desperate even to get half of what the Transition Committee owes them.
They narrate the hard times they underwent in honouring match day appointments, using their own money to reach match venues.
“Am owed about Sh 65,000.I wish I could even get half of the amount since I used a lot of cash in honouring the fixtures. Personally I have given up on the possibility of getting justice, I accept the sad fact that there is no one to ask,” said the ref.
Former Head of Leagues and Competitions Ali Amour has questioned the honesty of the match officials who are demanding their pay.
“We had a big issue with some of the match officials because of the personal data provided. Some of them gave us bank accounts belonging to their wives and it was very difficult to process the payments. Some have not reconciled consolidated matches that they officiated. Let them refer the matter to their match appointing officers. No referee will be denied what is duly his or hers, they only need to follow the laid down process,” Amour told People Daily Sport.
However, Amour’s sentiments were washed away by another referee who said that they were not true.
“How can he claim that some referees submitted wrong accounts yet they had previously processed payment through the same account? The issue of reconciliation match reports was done timely and submitted. If some match reports were not submitted as he claims, how they consolidate data for the league standings?,” he asked.
With the start of new football season around the corner, the match officials are seeking justice for their sweat for last term and have asked CS Ababu Namwamba to come to their rescue for alleged sins by the former state appointed football administration.There was enough evidence on show in the derby that Sevilla will be back in the new year providing Monchi can shake things up and give him a squad with a few more of the players he needs. Winning the Europe League might be a stretch but they will not stay in the bottom three.
Villarreal fans miss Unai Emery
Why wouldn’t they? New coach Quique Setien has already lost as many matches as Emery had lost before he left. It’s been three defeats and a draw in the former Barca coach’s first four games and the Villarreal fans – not known for being particularly hard to please – sang ‘Quique go now’ on Sunday.
His rhetoric since a taking over has been that he wasn’t expecting the call to take charge, and he needs time to implement his concepts. Villarreal fans are wondering what really needed changing.
Emotions were running so high that Lewandowski wondered if he shouldn’t let Pique take the early penalty. Pique told him to take it but as he put the ball down the supporters were singing Pique’s name.
Perhaps that’s why La Liga’s top scorer came over all Jorginho and tried a double hop-skip-and-jump before hitting the post.
Pique got the send off Messi also deserved
What a contrast between Lionel Messi shuffling off to Paris Saint Germain after a tearful press conference and Pique’s name being sung by 92,000 in a Camp Nou that was still full 20 minutes after the end of the game as he made his emotional lap of honour.
He had earned it, Messi may never get the goodbye he deserves.
Simeone and Joao Felix need to talk
Simeone needs to have a long conversation with Joao Felix. For as long as their marriage of inconvenience continues the player is wasting the best years of his career, and Simeone is taking Atletico Madrid towards mediocrity.
He was left out of the starting line-up again and came on to score as Simeone’s team failed to beat 10-man Espanyol. Once Joao Felix is back from Qatar, he and Simeone need to talk about saving Atletico’s season, together.
Ansu Fati must go to Qatar
He is out of form and not fit, and yet still when he comes on for Barcelona he manages to make more happen in his half hour than those who have played the previous hour.
He has the magic that no one else can offer Spain coach Luis Enrique.
