Pay up or see you, Polack warns Gor Mahia
Gor Mahia head coach Steve Polack gestures during a recent function in Nairobi
What you need to know:
- Polack said paying players on time was the only way to avoid labour troubles that have blighted the record Kenyan champions’ reign.
- The 58-year-old British coach decried the mass exodus of key players from his squad.
Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack is a worried man and has warned the club management to stem the exodus of players or face a difficult new season when action resumes.
The Briton also urged the club to clear all salary arrears owed to the playing unit before the new season.
He spoke to Nation Sport Sunday as he prepared to leave the country for his native Britain for what he called much needed rest.
“I will be heading home in the next 10 days because I have not seen my family for a long time,”’ he said.
Gor Mahia coach Steve Polack (left) chats with Jackson Owusu at a past function in Nairobi.
Will he be coming back, as Gor’s recent history shows that foreign coaches who leave under difficult circumstances for holiday’s in their home country, never return?
Mass exodus
Remember Croatian Zdravko Logarusic, Scot Frank Nuttal and Turkish-Cypriot Hassan Oktay, who all went on holiday at home while on contract with Gor to never return.
Polack assured Gor Mahia fans that he will come back to Kenya to continue coaching the team if all issues pertaining to payment have been cleared.
“It will be painful for me to come back then we experience the same go slows and off pitch issues we have had in the past. That is why this has to be sorted,” he said.
Gor Mahia Steven Polack gestures during their friendly match against Ksports on March 11, 2020 at Parklands Sports Club in Nairobi.
Polack said paying players on time was the only way to avoid labour troubles that have blighted the record Kenyan champions’ reign.
The 58-year-old British coach decried the mass exodus of key players from his squad.
“Players are currently leaving Gor Mahia in droves and all I have to do before leaving is to ensure myself and my staff are paid all their dues. I have also to know the management plans on new signings,” said Polack.
Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack gestures during their friendly match against Ksports at Parklands Sports Club in Nairobi on March 11, 2020.
The 18 times Kenyan Premier League champions have been financially troubled and owe the coach, players and members of the technical bench six months salary arrears.
K’Ogalo, have a wage bill of Sh5.5 million per month and the club management has in the past said it intends to reduce the figure to Sh3 million to enable them smoothly run affairs next season.
Some of the key players who have left K’Ogalo are assistant captain Joash Onyango who joined Tanzanian giants Simba SC last week.
Kenyan international defender Joash Onyango (right) exchanges documents with Simba SC assistant coach Selemani Matola during his unveiling ceremony in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on August 14, 2020.
Lethal striker Boniface Omondi signed for Wazito, while custodian David Mapigano and his Tanzania counterpart Dixon Ambudo have joined Azam and Dodoma Jiji respectively.
Ugandan import Juma Balinya and captain Kenneth Muguna are in talks with Azam and Petro de Luanda of Angola while the contract of Ghanaian midfielder Jackson Owusu has expired.
