FOUR days before they take on Chad in the back-to-back AfCON qualifiers, senior Chipolopolo players have gone on strike in protest against their unpaid allowances from previous engagements.
Government owes Chipolopolo players several allowances dating back to the last AfCON that was staged in Ivory Coast, including last month’s camp and winning bonuses against Sierra Leone.
The team has camped in Ndola preparing for the crucial Friday encounter.
But after Tuesday’s afternoon training session, the players told head coach Avram Grant’s bench that they would not train anymore until they are paid what they are owed.
The players have also informed FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga and the Ministry of Sport about their decision.
“We have now made it clear to everybody that this is the last training session we were having. Imagine being told stories from January! And when we beat Sierra Leone here, the minister came to the dressing room and promised us yet again, but for how long,” players who spoke through one of their colleagues told The Mast.
They also revealed that there is no enthusiasm among their colleagues in the diaspora to sacrifice for the flag because it amounted to nothing.
“Look, this is why our colleagues can’t even sacrifice to come with their knocks. We are not saying they are not injured, but it’s a situation where even the slightest of knocks people can’t sacrifice because what are you sacrificing for,” they said.
There was visible panic on the technical bench and officials after the players delivered the news immediately after training.
Before the game against Sierra Leone last month, players encircled FAZ president Andrew Kamanga and his executive members that attended the final training session on similar protests, with Kamanga promising to give them something just for upkeep whilst in camp.
Zambia host Chad on Friday before travelling to Yaounde, Cameroon for the return match four days later.
|By Darius Kapembwa| The Mast|
Nothing will change until incompetent Kamanga is fired.
Twalalusa bola bet.
Please pay them.
Naifwe tupangeko ama starter
We are not getting value for our money by continuing putting money in a bottomless pit called chipolopolo, they are nothing but a bunch of Thieves
Our National team has been a late down.please let them not hide in allowances where were they all this time long
The national team must improve there standard of playing because we shall be just wasting money for nothing the performance of the boys is not impressive ever since the last afcon for 2012 the national team performance has gone down and the coach also must be fared and to my opinion Zambia national team must be burn for 2 year after that may be they can come and do better
Poor performance ba national team even if they pay you back your demand still more you are nothing on the pitch very bad performance if i was the president of Zambia i could have burn for fresh blood these players bane ni nkanga useless players ma rubbish eka eka eka eka eka
Many management teams in Zambia today take people for granted.Unless you react you will always suffer.These devils are only there to milk you and if you protest they say you are not patriotic.Boza imwe bantu!Fight for your money.Best of luck.