*Undated
The National Super League is already up and running with 4 matches having been played so far with the National 2nd tier side. For Kisumu based club Kisumu All Stars, their next fixture against Fortune Sacco is highly in doubt due financial constraints.
Teamkenya.co.ke managed to speak to the club's CEO Mr. Nicholas Ochieng who explained how the club is now considering taking a walk over with regards to the matter.
"We are currently looking into figuring out how the team will get to Kirinyaga for the game but yes we are having problems financially."
Concerning the funds disbanded to each team in the National Super League (Ksh 250,000), Ochieng said that they are yet to receive.
"Having this money in a period of a month is not sufficient. Going to Kirinyaga alone for us is over Ksh 250,000 when you put into consideration transportation and the cost of everything else. However this is not something that is sufficient but will still help out teams." Ochieng said.
The Salim Babu-led team is scheduled to play Fortune on Sunday December 19th as they seek to build on their midweek win over SS Assad. It was the team’s first win in the league after recording two losses and a draw. “The win means a lot for us. We were under pressure to win because we had a winless streak of three games,” said Babu.
“This is one of our best performances and I have told the players clearly that for us to return to the Kenyan Premier League, we must get positive results at home and away.”
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s game against Fortune Sacco at Wanguru Stadium in Kirinyaga, coach Babu noted: “The win will boost the players' morale as the league gathers momentum. We are travelling to Kirinyaga for a positive result. We don’t have a good away record this season but we want to turn the tide.”
Despite being owned and backed by the Kisumu County government, All-Stars’ financial challenges are well documented and played a part in their relegation from the top tier in 2020. This was as a result of players and staff going for months without any remuneration.
This is despite endless promises from the county government promising to foot all the team’s bills. The latest announcement is a major setback for coach Babu who was confident that his team would be promoted at the end of the season before the campaign started.
Kisumu All Stars are currently 14th in the league with 4 points having won only one game. Fortunate Sacco on the other hand are already having a decent spell having won 2 games with no loss. The Kirinyaga based club are now on 8 points.