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Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has lamented about delayed payment of his salaries, running into months, but who are the others in Africa facing a similar predicament?
A number of African countries seem to be struggling to meet the financial obligations to their coaches, leading to cries from the tacticians over unpaid dues running into months.
In 2024, three high-profile names have been reported not to have received their monthly dues running into millions for a long time while there are some still suffering in silence.
Among them is Harambee Stars’ Turkish tactician Engin Firat, who has complained twice in one year over non-payment of salaries, while DR Congo’s Sebastien Desabre and Senegal’s Aliou Cisse are the other ones
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16:34 - 22.05.2024
Engin Firat faces unpaid salaries as Harambee Stars prep for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat reveals unpaid salary issues amid preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Engin Firat -Kenya
Firat disclosed for a second time in one year that he had not been paid his salary for five months, making life difficult for him.
Firat revealed in May that he had not received his pay for five months, the revelation coming after he had complained of a nine-month pending dues last September.
"When I mentioned sacrifices before, what I meant was that it's only a temporary issue, lasting just five months. We face many problems, but we don't publicise our struggles; instead, we fight for the country and choose not to share our problems externally," Firat told the media in May.
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20:00 - 04.09.2023
FOOTBALL: Harambee Stars head coach laments over unpaid salaries
Harambee Stars' head coach, Engin Firat, has not been paid his owed salary by the government despite assurances from the Ministry of Sports.
Firat is believed to earn a monthly salary of Ksh1.5 million, meaning he was owed Ksh7.5 million when he complained in May, while there was an outstanding payment of Ksh13.5 million last September.
Owing a coach Ksh21 million in under a year and expecting him to deliver looks like a stretch too far but the Harambee Stars coach has done commendably well over that period as his team have lost two of their nine matches during that period while winning four.
Sebastien Desabre -DR Congo
Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, who was appointed as head coach of the DRC national team in 2022, was reported this month to have gone six months without receiving his salary.
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09:32 - 22.06.2024
Fear in DRC as national team coach goes for six months without pay
Football authorities in DRC are wary of the prospect of being fined by FIFA after their national team coach has gone for six months without payment of his Ksh5.6m per month salary.
Desabre's notable achievements include leading the DRC to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where they lost to South Africa in the third-place playoff.
Despite these successes, Desabre has not been paid for half a year, according to the DRC Team Manager Dodo Landu.
With a salary of €41,000 (Ksh5.6million) a month, that translates to €246,000 (Ksh33.8 million) in unpaid salaries.
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18:39 - 24.06.2024
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So bad is the situation that the DRC are fearing dire consequences from world football governing body FIFA.
Aliou Cisse -Senegal
In January, less than two weeks before Senegal began the defence of their AFCON title, it was reported that coach Aliou Cisse had gone for six months without pay, raising concerns in the country.
According to reports, Cisse was owed €180,000 (Ksh31 million) after failing to receive his €30,000 (Ksh5.1 million) monthly salary for six months.
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17:53 - 27.12.2023
FOOTBALL Concern among Senegal fans as coach Aliou Cisse goes for six months without pay
Senegal supporters are getting worried after it emerged that coach Aliou Cisse has not been paid for six months, just two weeks before the Teranga Lions begin AFCON title defence
Just like the aforementioned, the highly-rated coach did not take any legal action over the issue as he has carried on with his job, leading his team to the tournament where they exited at the Round of 16.
Non-payment or delayed salaries in nothing new in Africa with Nigeria and Ghana among countries who have had their coaches go for months without pay but going by what is being witnessed, it looks like it will not be stopping anytime soon.
Follow us on X (Twitter) for more updates.
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