Isonga players unhappy with playing conditions

Isonga Football Club players have revealed that they are not comfortable with the current conditions at the club. They expressed their grievances through an open letter to the club’s executive committee in which they called for an emergency meeting to find a solution. Grégoire Muramira. In the letter, the players threatened not to play any game until the board addresses their grievances. The meeting subsequently took place on Sunday evening at Ferwafa headquarters in Remera. The players addressed four major issues that have been hurting them and these included medical insurance, their monthly communication allowance, poor feeding—they also accused the management of not appreciating what they do. Hakim Tuyisenge, the team captain said, “We are not entirely convinced that the club really cares about our health when we are not playing, that is why we’re demanding that each one of us keeps his medical insurance card which can be useful both on and off the pitch.” “We have spent two months without getting our communication facilitation and were not able to communicate to our families even on Christmas,” added midfielder Mansur Senzira. The club Secretary General Sandra Muhimpundu acknowledged that the players’ concerns are genuine but that they would be addressed when money comes in. During the meeting the club president Gregoire Muramira agreed that there has been a delay in the payment of the player’s communication money. According to him the problem is not the committee but it’s the unavailability of money and once it is availed “we shall clear them.” “The players are supposed to get Rwf15000 every month as communication allowance but it’s not a contract, we can pay them when we have it or not when we don’t have it,” explained Muramira. Isonga is ‘owned’ by the ministry of sports. While most of the players are students, without contracts and don’t get monthly salary, the club pays their medical insurance; school fees as well as transport to and from school. All players live together at the Ferwafa headquarters. Muramira asked the players to be calm as all their problems will be sorted when money is available. Isonga, which is yet to win any game in the league and are bottom of the table with 3 points in 11 games will next face league leaders and reigning champions APR on January 6. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Isonga players unhappy with playing conditions