The local football governing body, FUFA has confirmed that Uganda Cranes players staged a strike on Tuesday and refused to train with complaints about emoluments the cause of the action.
Reportsbindicated that the players were demanding for their $4000 and $2000 and bonuses for the win against DRC and stalemate against Zimbabwe respectively at the group stage.
They also wanted their $5000 bonus promised to them once they get to the last 16 of the ongoing Afcon finals in Egypt. Uganda is set to play favorites Senegal this Friday at the Cairo international stadium.
FUFA cleared the air on bonus arrears reports in a statement released on Wednesday that read: “FUFA wishes to affirm that matters of the rights and obligations of the members of the Uganda Cranes at the AFCON 2019 inclusive of the allowances and bonuses of the team were discussed and agreed upon by the team and were put into a document called the Code of Conduct. Every member of the team signed the Code of Conduct before being allowed into the camp.”
According to FUFA, as of 2nd July 2019, each player had received up to 14,600 USD (App Shs55m) already with more daily allowances and winning bonuses awaiting to be earned and paid on time.
FUFA revealed that The financial structure to be paid to each member of the Uganda Cranes in the Code of Conduct is as follows; 420 USD for the Camp in Uganda (14 days), 5,100 USD for the Foreign Camp (34 days ending 30th June 2019), 4,000 USD for the Winning Bonus of the DR Congo match, 2,000 USD for the Draw against Zimbabwe.
“Far and beyond the Code of Conduct, FUFA has also paid extra 2,780 USD to each player for camp morale and 300 USD for the International friendly match against Ivory Coast,” the statement further details.
Is it a stunt?
Eng. Ben Misagga, the Nyamityobora FC President said that indeed the players have arrears in bonuses, according to ‘his inside sources’ but the move to strike and abandon training was a stunt allegedly engineered by the FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo.
Misagga’s claims could not be independently confirmed by this website but said: “Magogo wants to put president Museveni under pressure for more because the team has performed beyond expectations. He connives with some senior player for the deal and that is the main reason why that player is always on the national team and plays frequently. He got over Shs4bn from government after even the team had qualified and CAF gave him over $250,000 for preparations like any other country that qualified for the 2019 AFCON finals.”
