Amavubi decry bonus payment delay

Amavubi players have appealed to Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) to release their unpaid bonuses after the team reached the group stages of 2015 Afcon final qualification round qualifiers. The federation had promised to have the money paid not later than September 3 with each player getting US$5,500 (about Rwf3.85m) in bonuses. “It is not good for them (Ferwafa) not to keep their word because we gave our best to reach the group stages, and now paying us is becoming an issue,” one senior player, who did not want his name to be revealed because of the sensitivity of the matter and his position on the team, told Times Sport. However, Rwanda was on August 17, disqualified from the 2015 Afcon competition by the Organising Committee of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations on grounds that they used an ineligible player; striker Dady Birori, who also goes by the name Agiti Tady Etakiama at his Kinshasa-based club AS Vita. When contacted, Ferwafa secretary general Oliver Mulindahabi acknowledged that indeed the players have not yet been paid their bonuses but added that they will get it next week. Mulindahabi said: “It was an oversight by the Ministry of Sports. The ministry did not include the players’ bonuses on the funds released to run the national team. We will give them their money. Nothing has changed, they will get all their money before the end of next week. Each player is entitled to US$3,000 (about Rwf2.1m) for beating Congo Brazzaville 2-0 in the return leg of the second round of qualifiers, US$1000 (about Rwf0.7m) for the first leg away trip against Congo and US$1500 (approx. Rwf1.5m) each for the 1-0 win against Gabon in an international friendly in the build-up to the Congo qualifier.