Broke Vihiga Bullets plead for funding to honour matches

Vihiga Bullets are pleading for funding to facilitate the daily running of the club.

Head coach George Owoko has revealed they could end up failing to honour their next FKF Premier League match against Sofapaka in Nairobi as they do not have the money to cover travel and accommodation fees as well as player allowances.

Two weeks ago, they were set to hand a walkover to Tusker FC before Vihiga county governor Wilberforce Ottichilo stepped in to pay for their expenses to Nairobi where they lost 2-1 against the champions.

“The team is in great financial problems because as we speak we are not even sure we will get funding to travel to Nairobi for our match against Sofapaka.

Again my players have lost their motivation due to this crisis and it’s now very difficult for me to ask them to give me good performances in matches,” said Owoko.

Owoko added their training sessions have also been greatly affected since most of his 38 players are now unable to afford fares to and from the team’s training ground while some opting to do casual jobs to sustain their living.

“I have to call the players to come to training and urging them to hold up, hoping everything will be ok. Sometimes only twenty players turn up for training which is not so good.”

Bullets sit second last in the league standings with four points after seven matches played. 

Meanwhile Kisumu All Stars also sent out a similar appeal with the management admitting they are unlikely to travel to Mombasa for their weekend National Super League (NSL) fixture.

The club, placed 10th on the NSL standings, is scheduled to play against Modern Coast Rangers on Saturday.

The club announced on its social media pages they are facing ‘difficult times financially’ adding the players have gone five months without pay.

All Stars CEO Nicholas Ochieng and other coaching staff have pooled Sh30,000 to help cover for the travel but the club says that will not be sufficient.

-Report by Kenneth Wachira and Allan Obiero