Sunshine players boycott camp over five-month unpaid salaries

Players of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Sunshine Stars, on Wednesday boycotted camp in protest of five months unpaid salaries by the club.

The management of the Akure Gunners had asked the players to resume camp on Wednesday, in preparation for the commencement of the 2020/21 NPFL season.

But our correspondent learnt that none of the players resumed in camp and according to a source, “the players would not resume until they got paid.”

One of the players of the club, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was yet to leave his base for Akure because he couldn’t afford the transport fare.

He said, “As I speak with you, I’m still in my base because I don’t have any money to travel down to Akure.

“Things have been really tough and until I get paid, there is no way I’m leaving here for camp. And I can also assure you that none of the players made it to camp today (Wednesday).”

Speaking with The Punch, Sunshine head coach Gbenga Ogunbote is hopeful the players would join up with the officials in camp, after the opening day boycott.

He said, “The players are expected to return to camp today (Wednesday) to start preparation for the new season.

“I just arrived myself and I have not been briefed, but there is no cause for alarm. Today is just for the arrival of the players to camp.”

When asked about the players’ boycott of the camp, Tajudeen Akinyemi, Chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency, the supervisory body of Sunshine, told The Punch, “I will get the report from the team manager, but now I can’t say if it is true or not.

“The coaches are already in camp because they called me when they came in.

“I just want everybody to be relaxed because I’m sure everything will go through."