Gor Mahia and FKF disagree over Philemon Otieno treatment
The career of Gor Mahia defender Philemon Otieno who sustained a career threatening injury while playing for Harambee stars is in limbo
Additional reporting from the Nation
Record Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia and Football Kenya Federation (FKF) are locked in a tussle over the treatment of Philemon Otieno who was injured while on national team duty.
Otieno, who emerged as the first choice right back for both club and country last season, picked a knee injury during the return leg of the first round 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier pitting Harambee Stars against Taifa Stars at Kasarani last month. Otieno was replaced in the first half as Kenya lost 4-1 on post-match penalties following a barren draw.
Reports indicate that FKF had planned to airlift the player for surgery in France few days after the match but that has not happened to date.
Gor Mahia CEO Lordvick Aduda has accused the federation of neglecting their player rendering him unavailable for club assignments.
“I wrote a letter to FKF on September 4 on the state of Philemon’s injury and they have never bothered to answer. The player needs to be treated urgently because he is suffering and is in pain. They wrote to us when they needed the player for national assignment but now they have ignored us and deserted him yet it is their responsibility to meet his medical cost,” an aggrieved Aduda told Nation Sport.
Aduda dismissed claims that Otieno has been released by the club reiterating that he is still contracted to Gor Mahia until January 2020.
“Nobody has terminated Philemon’s contract, we only severed it for some time and gave his jersey number to another player. He is still our player. What is surprising is that when Brian Mandela got injured in Harambee Stars camp in France, FKF paid for his treatment and didn’t refer him to his club in South Africa. Why is that not happening in Philemon’s situation?,” posed Aduda.
However, acting FKF CEO Barry Otieno insists that it’s not the prerogative of national team players to be treated by the federation.
“There is no law that say the federation should cater for medicals expenses of a player injured while playing for the national team We also don’t have comprehensive insurance cover for players in the national team, we only give them covers when traveling out of the country for matches,” said Otieno who urged Gor Mahia to carry their own cross. “Philemon is a Gor Mahia player and the club should help him get treatment. As at now, the federation has no money but the situation would have been different if finances were available,” he added.
The surgery, to reconstruct complete tear of Otieno’s anterior cruciate ligament, is estimated to cost Sh500,000.
Barry Unfortunate message Equally embarrassing statement from FKF CEO. Please share with the rest of Harambee stars players so that they know their clubs have crosses to carry whenever you are playing for the country and they are injured. Include your revelation in a Terms of Engagement if you issue one when calling up players and let the clubs also accept the terms of the callups or not.
Barry otieno in no terms should you speak chietha chietha to an injured patriot in national duty. You are a shame And an abominable character.
OK…..when FKF want players for Harambee, AR should tell them no and that they (FKF) should carry their own cross and maybe have the FKF CEO and officials to go play the game themselves. This is nonsense from FKF
@Gor Player – I thought you would be in a training session this afternoon. All the same this is a good comment and hope you have shared with the rest of the players
Omondi (Aduda) cannot agree with FKF’s Otieno over KES 500,000.00 required for the treatment of another Otieno. Hiyo pesa ni ya mama ya nani? Suppose the three people at the centre this row were Mwangi, Macharia and Kamau or Werunga, Khaemba and Wandera or even Mutiso, Wambua and Musyoki? Barry Otieno even if you don’t answer me, I know this message has reached you….and remember this player got injured while playing for a useless team that will only perform well the day its name shall be changed.
Whaaaaat?!!! Ati club to carry own cross for a player injured when on national duty? Barry, please read and reread what OjOmondi has said here above. Disgusting is utter undesrtatement, perhaps stupid, but let’s leave it there at least now all players and their clubs no know just so well.
Nick is very silly…I raised the issue awhile ago… why were the lying that they want to take him to France if they didn’t have money…does he know that football is Philemons only job…the Sooner the surgery the better..this is too sad
Lordvick Omondi Aduda short continue creating a fertile environment for Philemon not to get the appropriate treatment. Barry Otieno is reasoning using his spinal cord so nothing will move reasoning with him. Instead Aduda should seek for financial assistance from the Sports Fund Meanwhile as that is being expedited, a paybill number for Gor Mahia family and wellwishers should be activated. KES 500000 ain’t money that we should be scratching our heads over.
New season, same problems. Gor players on go slow again over unpaid dues moreso at this time when we are facing this KCB thing who I wanted us to massacre thoroughly. Kwani shida ilitengenezewa Gor yawa
Many a times , people have faulted African professionals for not exerting themselves to the limit when playing for their countries , Barry Otieno’s casual response on a matter this grave and which is representative of the other African football Federations , is the answer e.g when you see Wanyama not exerting himself , that Is the reason .
As much as that is the case , could it be that the club has dumped Philemon after the way they held the club to ransom last season , deliberately losing a game and then going further to deliberately embarass the club through distributing unwaranted photos to the media and amid cheering from shortsighted fans , arrogantly shouting to whoever cared to listen that they have better offers already in the bag and in defiance of long sighted fans who were imploring them to go slow .
I ask this because , Curtis Wekesa came to Gor Mahia with an injury that occured elsewhere , same to the Ivorian, I think and some seasons back , Nzigimana’s injury was treated so professionally by the club .
When some of us at times come so hard on some players shortsightedness , these are some of the issues we normally factor in , what is happening to Philemon is the sad reality of our situation and I believe that my hypothesis is not further from the truth .
I believe that we the fanbase ought to do something to remedy this situation so that the player can come back to serve , delayed action may mean the end of this boy’s career .
The fox must be chased first before we reprimand the hen against wandering too far into the Bush.Friends,let us organise a medical funds drive for Philemon.This is not the time to dwell over what happened last year.Let us forgive and move on.Let show some love for this boy.Over to you Tony Amelia.
Tony Anelka
Wiating for directions from@Anelka. Just asking, all these 13 EC don’t they know that players/workers need to be medically-insured? Are they themselves insured?
@ administration, for the last time please let’s keep off the side shows and focus on getting ‘fans’ to raise some money otherwise Player strike and match walkovers and player revolt akin to RS Berkane scenario will soon be the order of the day .
‘fans’ play your part !
@ admin, for the last time please let’s keep off the side shows and focus on getting ‘fans’ to raise some money otherwise Player strike and match walkovers and player revolt akin to RS Berkane scenario will soon be the order of the day .
‘fans’ play your part !
Let’s sort out the treatment first.
Can Philemon organize a playbill no. as Nasio did that shows the accumulated balance collected so that I/we can start contributing.
For this cause I am ready and willing to contribute.
Whatever one may say this is a player who served GM well yet EC is haggling over his treatment but has money to pay Makwatta and the Westies kes.1m etc. This what I mean when I lament that some players connive with EC to ride on the backs of players sweating and bleeding for the club. EC has been paying these Westies salaries and rent for several months while Philemon remains untreated because of 500k, players who win matches are not paid their bonuses on time etc.
Aduda/EC treat our player then use that as a refusal to release any of our players for future H.Stars duty until FKF accepts responsibility and refunds the club. Don’t waste our time and our player corresponding with this Barry.
Aduda, Aduda, Aduda what do you mean by ” we have only severed it (Philemon’s contract) for sometime?????
Aduda, Aduda, Aduda what do you mean by ” we have only severed it (Philemon’s contract) for sometime?????
This pains me for Our extremely poor club. I hear Batambuze is also on line begging for surgery.it pains.I heard that some time back a Gor fan organised mchango sucessfuly in other issues .whoever it is we need one for Philemon and Batambuze.This is beyond our Freemason chairman.We need a Paybill for this
I see three people are touched by our players plight.Oduor,Baba Travis and I. Some of us don’t have alternative clubs in England,Gor is all we have.Kwani club haina medical insurance with the massive fan base we need a partner insurance firm.Who runs this club?
Under the leadership of Tony Anelka we had contributed for Solomon Nasio some years back. Can we do the same @ Tony Anelka, give us a paybill number. FKF is quite unfair to say the least.
Let’s find treatment for Philo then case later. Acl tear is one of the worst injuries an athlete can get and not many fully recover from it… depending on age.
My prayer is with him for treatment and full recovery and back to business.
As we put all our focus on this issue , lost in all this is the more fundamental and urgent issue of players boycotting training on Friday over unpaid /delayed August Salaries OR is it mind games , the kind USM Alger played on us ? , ofcourse not coz Gor is too broke to even afford Mind Games hence its incumbent upon us to continue the 350100 even if it is shingo upande .
But did you know that even this 350100 issue was unoffially volunteered to us this platform yet like I have said before , Gor Mahia has a weekly platform with a capacity to reach its millions of fans and potential fans i.e K’galo time on Ramogi Fm and engage them , but instead everything has been left to Rachier to sort while the rest of the EC plot what excuses they will give the fanbase the next time they again deliberately bungle innovative money generating schemes put in place .
Did anyone hear Sally Bolo’s remark on radio that SHE WAS WOKEN UP BY A PHONE CALL That there were chaos at the gate , now assuming the gates were open at 11am because of the double header , it means that the head of the department I.e Sally Bolo , who had supposedly travelled to Kisumu for a specific defined purpose , was still SLEEPING Literally when she was supposed to be on the ground supervising .
After saying that , I hope we can still vividly remember that it is the same Sally Bolo who again was quoted admitting that the police in kisumu arrested one thug selling fake matchday tickets , but she was forced to intercede and have the man released since the man “was a RELATIVE of someone in the EC”.
In summary , after bungling our revenue streams , the Stewards payments are upto date , the bouncers payments are upto date , Moi Stadium management got their payments in full and on time but the ones we all went to see I.e the players , GOT NOTHING , Every else including the refs got something But the players GOT NOTHING .
Now to the one on this forum who has been berating people on this wall for daring to criticise yet have not contributed to 350100 , my advice is that you direct your misplaced anger elsewhere , somebody in the EC might be from your village , but dont for one second assume that this is the property of your village , our love for Gor should not be taken for granted .
Teddy Sofaset you have very good memory. Now Sally needs to do some soul searching. However, I want to say 350100 is official. A visit to Gor Mahia archives will reveal AR himself, Ngala and Pesa posing for a photo while holding 350100. Players like Jerry Jagoal, Dani Sserunkuma and Rama Salim also took photos holding that paybill number. The EC went further and emblazoned it on the team jerseys.
Sadly, the excitement of Sportpesa outmuscling Betway and coming on board saw 350100 being obliterated not only from the team jerseys, but also from the minds of Gor Mahia managers. In hindsight I wish 350100 which the same EC is trying to resuscitate now, was never allowed to become unconscious in the first place.
I support your suggestion Teddy Sofaset that we raise funds towards the players salaries and to that end I commit to send the equivalent of three VIP tickets for me and my significant others since circumstances will not allow us to travel to Machakos for tomorrow’s match.
@Barefoot bandit , I am not in any doubt about the officialdom of 350100 but rather the fact that this platform has not been given the gravitas that would have made it firmly etched in the minds of the faithfuls , a case in point being that even in this forum where people are very informed about the going ons in the club , some were not aware about its current status , so you can imagine how not informed those not online are and this is what informs my campaign for Gor to use the platforms that are readily available to them to avoid these kneejerk reactions , one of them being the weekly free platform afforded to them that is K’galo time that has a reach to millions of k’galo faithfuls within and without the country , a platform they can use EVERY WEEK to interact with the faithfuls and the fact that these avenues that can be used to persuade and recruit is not used is what makes some of the faithfuls who would wish to help frustrated and fatigued , a case in point being the failed Harambee .
@ Barefoot Bandit , looked closely , you will note a very clear pattern , a clique in the EC believe and so far they have been prooved right and that is they will mess , bungle and frustrate any initiative that is not self serving , knowing that at the end of the day some people will come to the rescue and those people they have in mind is you and I .
Let nobody take offense when some people say they will not contribute because these people feel exploited and taken advantage of and all these organised chaos is to the detriment of the club but to the benefit of the ones who deliberately create the chaos .
Its very painful , that at some point last season when Chemelil was the home club , at the same stadium , they raked in millions , but shortly thereafter when Gor was the host at the same venue , with the same Chemelil , they officially reported a pittance and why is that so ? , some people will be expected to chip in and the Patron will be insulted for “Not helping Gor Mahia ” .
@Barefoot Bandit osiepa, i would wish to join you in the fundraiser you just started but additionally i wish you would accept to wear shoes as the Chair of our group. I haven’t been able to attend many of our games the last few seasons and the guilt kills me when our players go unpaid.
I need to contribute with every game i miss but the effort will be worthwhile if all who support the idea join hands. You can leave a number here for accountability.
If it is okay with you, please lead my fellow faceless bloggers to bring sanity to our club. The madness of leaving everything to hyenas will soon bring us down.
Gor is cash cow it has been so it will be so in the foreseeable future
NIL5Q60HAL Confirmed. Ksh1,500.00 sent to GOR MAHIA for account Barefoot Bandit on 21/9/19 at 12:28 PM New M-PESA balance is Ksh*******. Transaction cost, Ksh23.00.
K’Ogalo I hope you are aware that the players have vowed not to step on the pitch until they receive their salaries. Teddy Sofaset, I appeal to K’Ogalo faithfuls in this wall to join me in this venture. Alone, I am nothing; just a Barefoot Bandit, but together we can silence the arrogant GM CEO.
Mr. CEO please this is not the time to remind the players that other clubs have also not paid their players. Just appeal to the fans whom you have little time for because “you cannot address people who are not registered as members of the club”. Just humble yourself and appeal to them and you will arrest the situation.
Ndugu Oduor12 please note that I have not obliterated the amount of money. So please start keeping the records I suggest that others who contribute should also make it easy for you to monitor the funds drive.
Noted Osiepa and am humbled by your gesture. Still searching the depths my soul but as of now I haven’t managed to convince my brain to make any contribution via the EC. Will it reach the players?
Disclaimer: This is my personal stand for now and I am in no way discouraging anyone from giving.
BTW is EC paying NHIF for players.
Surely NHIF should cover part of kes.500,000 bill.
gor mahia is a club that dreams of conquering africa yet it doesnt have medical cover for players. really! A simple NHIF cover of 1700 per month can sort out all these hullabaloos. Why is the gor mahia leadeship so myopic. They dont inspire any confidence to fans and players. What nonsense! NKT! Asimple NHIF cover of 1700ksh per month for Shafik Batambuze and Philemon Otieno and all the other players is more than enough. We have more than 10 surgeons in kenya who can repair cruciate ligaments
Philemon should organize a paybil so that we can start contributions . Same as Batambuze
As fans we need to step up and help our dear club. My problem is that no official is appealing and taking the lead to organise the fans assist Philemon and Batambuze. ADOR shpuld alos know that single handedly managing Gor is no joke. Reach out to persons of interest like Kidero, Obado etc. That’s how teams like Mamelodi and Simba are thriving
If I were a player being paid over 100k/month like Gor players are and noted that for one reason or another the club has not signed as up for NHIF , I like so many other kenyans , majority of who earn much less , would take 1000/= or so from my own pay and register myself for the cover , after all , the career Is mine .
This post is not to excuse the club from its obligations but rather a call to all footballers in Kenya to appreciate the realities of our environment -Just go and take a Cover -Today .
So officially we have 5 players with career threatening injuries – 2 westies, shafiq, Philemon and wekesa . out of 29 registered, we have been reduced to 24 and the season has just started. How the season will parn out remains to be seen but things are clearly looking grim.
My last appeal to the so called ‘fans’ – STAND OUT AND BE COUNTED OR ELSE THE CLUB FORFEITS ALL THE MATCHES !! LET US BE SERIOUS WITH THE SITUATION….
My good friend The Villager, I thank God for our long friendship that came to being because of our love for K’Ogalo. To answer you, my conscience cannot allow me to wear shoes while Gor Mahia players are going hungry.
Osiepa, I am indeed humbled by your suggestion that I chair this funds drive. Thank you for seeing some potential in me. I would gladly serve if it is for the good of Gor Mahia. However, my only setback is that I am not a Nairobian.
I am sure it is not lost on you that it will not be efficient to coordinate that from my Dunga Unuse slums here on Mombasa. There are very honest and capable Nairobians like Dan, Oduor12, Oswozo Moziek, Musymo, Baba Travis and Le Pastre. Even Jakoyp has been our pointman before when we mobilized funds towards a similar course.
***Dunga Unuse Slums here in Mombasa….. Besides, I know nobody in Gor Mahia EC, Tech Bench or playing unit. This role best suits the gentlemen that I have named.
@Blogger …….. I also feel the same pain. Many times i dont want to talk about it because some of us here don’t read from the same script. They will call you a yapping dimwit. GM started well but in between lost valuable steps. Is the GM Sacco still up and running?……. Are the players members of NHIF and NSSF?……
These are the basics that any employee in any organized institution should enjoy.
Philemon has served his club and country well. I don’t think we should look back last season and nail him for the little challenges that occurred. He is still a young man with a lot to offer.
The problem with our management is that they carry grudge far too long. Instead of counseling these players they are busy flexing their might, power and authority. Arrogance won’t help. A leader should be humble It’s that simple.
If someone can reach him advise him to get a paybill so that we could donate something for his medical bill.
I
@Tony Anelka/Jasego, Give us M-pesa number we contribute for the medication of Philemon Otieno. Kidogo kidogo hujaza kibaba.
Yea its ok sending donations to his paybill number for the purpose of his injury as soon as he can make it available. To an office that is non reactive, mute and dumb. Raderless, non inspiring leadership. A club surviving from hand to mouth. Zero savings. Most of Gors problems are self inflicted. The goalkeepers coach assuring us that gor will forsure always conceed goals galore. We can see firy shots from all direction. We lack basic organization skills even for fundraisers. Priorities are upside down. Like our preparations for caf matches have always been shambolic. With 56 millions up for grabs and the club stuck and yearning for a financial lease of life. Year in year out we have failed to organise, plan and exercuted a serious shot on the money spinning tournament. Even when we had sponsorship there were problems of air tickets and players strikes. The 6 million we were desperately begging is just a fraction. We must seriously focus on this tournament if we are to spare ourselves further emberassments.
Just Breaking..KPL planning to postpone match between KCB vs Gor Mahia because Gor are unable to raise a team for the day…
With the financial situation in Gor being what it is , and for whatever reason , Were Ador to get some financial relief from wherever e.g a Bank , to remedy the situation , would we fault him if he recovers the money from our future earnings to pay back ?