According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria, salaries of players at Kaduna United Football Club have not been paid for 12 months. The players are now appealing to the management of the club to pay their one-year salary arrears.
Speaking to NAN on the issue, the assistant captain of the team Ali Adam, revealed that some players had left the club due to non payment of the accumulated salary. Ali said those still with the club had vowed not to train until their salaries were settled or receive concrete assurances that they would be paid soon.
He said, “Most of us are breadwinners, and we now work without motivation. We protested peacefully to tell the government about the hardship we are facing but no response.
“We have been suffering since the 2013 Premier league season, and this made the club to be relegated to the lower division.
“The players could not play well because they were thinking of how to survive. We are very sad because life has not been easy for us and some of us are students who struggle to pay our school fees.
“When you work without being paid, how do they expect you to survive and play well?
“Most clubs have started training in preparation for the new season except Kaduna United.”
Kaduna United head coach,Barnabas Saleh said the state government had approved the money to settle the salary arrears but the money had not been released yet.
“We hope to start training as soon as we get the money,” he said.
– punch
