Wario fails to deliver cash, snubs Stars dinner in Addis
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Hassan Wario snubbed a dinner party hosted for the national football team by the Kenyan Embassy in Addis Ababa on Tuesday evening, Nairobi News can exclusively reveal.
The CS had earlier travelled to Ethiopia to stem unrest within Harambee Stars camp arising from delayed payment of the players’ allowances but for some reason failed to deliver his bag of goodies.
Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Catherine Mwangi, who was at another official function and his Deputy Aggrey Shitsama, who is unwell, also didn’t attend the event held at the Kenyan Ambassador’s residence, located at High 16 Kebelle 01, Addis Ababa.
The only key personalities present were Football Kenya Federation CEO Micheal Esakwa, Sports Commissioner Gordon Oluoch and Embassy officials.
DISAPPOINTING DEFEAT
Stars failed to defend the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup crown, after suffering a disappointing 5-3 defeat to Rwanda in the quarter finals on Tuesday evening, a match which Wario attended and even conducted an interview with Pay TV channel SuperSport at halftime.
“We are here to support our national team and release Sh3.5 million to the federation, part of which is meant to pay the players. It is FKF that has let this team down,” Wario said.
A member of the national team however gave a different account of events.
“He (Wario) came to the dressing room and motivated us, then promised to clear our outstanding arrears amounting to Sh20,000 after the match. But we have not seen him since and he even missed our dinner at the Embassy. This has demoralized us a great deal,” our source said.
Stars, who won only one of their four fixtures at the tournament, are expected back in the country on Wednesday evening.