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Gor Mahia treasurer Kennedy Ouma has admitted that due to their tight financial situation they were finding it increasing difficult to retain their star players and also attract top talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth is that we are struggling. We are really struggling. We have good players but we are losing them because they are receiving better deals that we just cannot match. Our accounts are totally dry and that is why we are yet to begin recruiting players,\u201d he said to the Nation Sport.<\/p>\n
The club was unable to meet the demands of Uganda Cranes midfield ace Geoffrey Kizito.\u00a0 Kizito\u2019s demands were simply untenable because you cannot pay one player a salary which is three times that of his colleagues.\u201d continued Ouma to the Nation.<\/p>\n
Kizito has left as has Sserunkuma, while Owino Calabar appears set for a European destination. He also fears that the departure of the trio is not the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are only three players,\u201d Ouma said. \u201cI fear that more will leave because how do you stand in the way of a player without money?<\/p>\n
Gor Mahia are supposed to announce their 2015 CAF champions league squad by December 2014. They can extend it by a month if they pay a fee. However the club still has not been able to recruit players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deadline is in mid-January, meaning that we have to have money before Christmas. We have identified the players that we want and we have spoken to about 10 players. We are however stuck on the financial part because our accounts are dry at the moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gor Mahia were engaged in a last ditch effort to retain Ugandan ace Geoffrey Kizito. However the talks collapsed after the two sides failed to come to an agreement.<\/p>\n
The club has been engaging the player over a new deal but we failed to agree on terms. As a club we are looking at affordability and sustainability aspects of a deal hence the collapse in talks with Kizito. He has since requested for a release letter which the club will grant him,\u201d said Sec Gen Omondi to the clubs site.<\/p>\n
With finances scarce, this has been one of the quietest transfer seasons at the club in recent years. The club has so far not finalized any major deal whether it is signing new players or renewing existing deals.<\/p>\n
That Gor Mahia would need finances in December is not a surprise and sound planning would have mitigated the current financial quagmire. They did indeed plan a fund raiser that was attended by among other governor Evans Kidero, Senator Mike Sonko and Raila Odinga. The initial target was to raise Ksh 60 million. This column predicted that the fund raiser would fall on its face due to poor planning. It came to pass as it raised a paltry Ksh 4 million.<\/p>\n
Chairman Ambrose Rachier announced the formation of a SACCO to help shore the club’s finances but his plans have yet to come to fruition. The 350100 pay bill appears to have run out of steam at a time when the club should be promoting it. The membership drive also stalled because the club did not sustain it. At this rate even Ambrose Rachier’s idea for a SACCO may come a cropper if its is poorly executed.<\/p>\n
The President promised a sponsor stating definitively “Leave it to me”. One hopes that the club officials are still busy looking for a sponsor and are not waiting for the president. Who knows if this was an empty promise on the presidents part.<\/p>\n
Even with all bad press the club has received, there must be some interested parties out there. Perhaps they can structure a contract that is contingent on proper fan behaviour. And it does not have to be a mega contract like the Tuzo deal. At this point the club needs a sponsor even at a lower rate. Pride should not be a factor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n