Walusimbi skips Gor trip for Esperance tie

Gor Mahia defender Godfrey Walusimbi risks disciplinary action from his club for absconding duty by refusing to travel to Tunisia for Sunday’s Caf Champions League first round return match against Esperance.

A 29-man K’Ogalo contingent touched down the Carthage International Airport in Tunis at 1.35pm Friday afternoon, but the seat belonging to Walusimbi remained empty throughout the journey.

The influential Ugandan utility had backed out at the last minute, demanding the remaining part of his sign-on fee believed to be in the region of Sh1 million.

Fifa rules are clear about the various avenues a player can explore to seek redress with regards to non-payment of sign-on fee, but they do not include absconding duty.

According to club assistant secretary general Ronald Ngala, Walusimbi simply refused to show up at the airport at the agreed time, and the rest of the team to proceed to Tunisia without him.

“We haven’t paid some 25 per cent of his sign-on fee, and that is what he was asking for. We had promised to pay this amount up by yesterday because we were banking on KPL to give us the remaining half of our prize money in the course of this week. That however didn’t happen so we asked him to be a little patient but he remained behind,” Ngala said.

Sources close to the Ugandan indicate that Walusimbi agreed to a move to Europe at the beginning of this year, before abruptly changing his mind and renewing his contract at Gor.

His agents were however not happy with the turn of events, and moved to slap him with a fine which was payable by end of last month.

With the deadline fast approaching and his agents putting pressure on him, Walusimbi is said to have asked Gor chairman Ambrose Rachier to pay up his dues or risk missing him in Sunday’s high stakes match.

His absence now leaves K’Ogalo further depleted, as they are also contending with the absences of Wellington Ochieng, Ephrem Guikan and Kevin Omondi who are all injured.

'FEEL THE PITCH'

The local champions are scheduled to feel the pitch of the 60,000-seater Stade Olympique Rades on Saturday ahead of the clash that kicks off at 6pm Kenyan time.

If they are to progress to the money brackets of the competition, Gor will have to either beat Esperance or conjure a scoring draw.

The odds are stacked high against K’Ogalo, who have never made it to the continental group stages since 1992, and who will also be contending with a hostile home crowd that is known to intimidate their opponents with their numbers, chants and fire crackers.

Goalkeepers: Shaban Odhoji, Boniface Oluoch

Defenders: Charles Momanyi, Wesley Onguso, Harun Shakava, Joachim Oluoch, Joash Onyango

Midfielders: Cersidy Okeyo, Philemon Otieno, Ernest Wendo, Lawrence Juma, Francis Kahata, Benard Ondiek and Humphrey Mieno

Attackers: Meddie Kagere, Boniface Omondi, Samuel Onyango, Jacques Tuyisenge, George Odhiambo