Yesterday the SouthEast/South South pre-season fixtures surfaced and FCIU weren’t on it, the defending Champions and First Host of the tournament which started in Nnewi, being the first team to indicate interest in the pre-season game, and also making it public on their social media Twitter handle. “We look forward to another season as we kick start with the defence of the SE/SS games this November. We ARE THE ANAMBRA WARRIORS” makes one to wonder why they didn’t make it.
AnaedoOnline.com reached out to some of the club officials and players who preferred to speak in anonymity and were told that the players have refused to return back to camp due to their unpaid accumulated salaries.
One of the club official told AnaedoOnline.com that the club pulled out of the preseason tournament because they had some issues with most clubs participating in the game, and how one of the south East clubs almost signed a player they brought from abroad to play for the team, and more reason is because there’re no much players in camp to compete in the preseason tournament.
The above is not enough reason to abandon a tournament the club were first to indicate interest in. if it is, then Fc Ifeanyi Ubah leaves us with this question “will the club also abandon the top division league NPFL? Because we are all aware that the South East teams will also be in the league game”
Meanwhile, AnaedoOnline.com was able to speak with some of FCIU’s players and the first one said “I have not been paid for 7months now, I won’t be the one to transport myself back to camp with my own money that I’ve being trying to manage with, the club is not even talking about our salaries that’s annoying and you expect us to come back and play on empty stomachs, I will only return when am being paid”
Second player said to AnaedoOnline.com “it’s not being easy playing for months with your salary, this is the only livelihood we have, speaking for myself, even though some of us has left and some are also willingly to leave but are being held by some conditions”
“I heard about the screening exercise taking place for one week starting on Monday, I don’t care playing a professional league with amateurs, I will return only when my salary is paid”.
The good thing about these players is that they are still willing to return back to the club, after all the psychological, Emotional and Financial trauma but wants their arrears paid first.
The screening exercise is no rumor its become a tradition for the club, after each season she disbands the team (not on players low performance but on the club’s incapability to manage them well) and replaces them with new scouts, only few old players who are unable to get a new club or are supposedly held by contract conditions stays.
Recently the clubs head Coach, Isah Ladan Bosso resigned from his duties due to unpaid salary issues as was disclosed by him. in an interview He said “I will only return back to the club when my players are paid their salaries in full, and some quarter of months into the new season”
“I’ve being trying to calm the boys down for months now, I feed them out of my own pocket but the club owner is not making the club a priority so why should we stay and suffer”
With the recent shambling between the Players, Management and owner, is FC Ifeanyi Ubah going to survive next season which is kicking off by December 1?.
Is one week enough to groom amateurs to professional players?
As we watch, we hope the Anambra Warriors still keeps a position in the Nigeria Top Division league after the new season.
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