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Shabana Spends Nights in Bar
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2007 00:42
Shabana who started their journey to the Coast on Friday could not make it to Mombasa on time after their bus broke down in Nairobi.
After travelling overnight, the club had no time to rest. They hurried to the pitch in order to honour the match and avoid penalisation.
That was the start of their troubles. After losing the Premier League game 0-5 at the Bamburi Portland Cement ground, the players found they could not even afford the price of a meal let alone find a suitable place to spend the night. After wandering around the island they found sympathetic patrons at the Obomo bar and restaurant.
The managers of the facility took pity on the Shabana players plight and created space for them at an enclosed space at the back. With neither beds nor beddings the players used canvas material and gunny bags to fend off the mosquitoes for the Saturday and Sunday nights.
When the 'Nation' team visited the restaurant yesterday morning they found some players sleeping on the floor and others on tables as their coach and team manager were out soliciting for assistance.
According to Shabana team manager Nicholas Anyuga, the team had organised itself to travel back after the Saturday game but after the bus they had hired in Kisii broke down in Nairobi they were forced to book another bus which cleared their expenses cash.
When contacted Dubai Bank FC patron Hassan Zuberi appeared shocked to hear what had happened and quickly raised Sh 25,000 for meals and transport while Dubai chairman David Langat gave a personal contribution of Sh 10,000 to mollify the saddened Shabana players and officials.
Anyuga said his players play for the love of the game but need to earn a living. This has not happened, he said adding the players have not been paid allowances for four years.
The team manager felt the club patron should show more interest in the team and help the club to overcome such financial challenges.
