AFC Leopards' midfield maestro Fabrice Mugheni says he is hurting deep inside and can no longer keep mum about the anguish he is experiencing at the club.
The Congolese has sent a passionate plea to ardent and well-meaning Ingwe fans to intervene and ensure his four-month salary arrears and pending match allowances amounting to Sh28,000 are promptly paid, failure to which he may consider storming out of the den.
In an exclusive interview with the Star on Monday, the visibly dejected Mugheni, who has been a kingpin at the heart of Leopards' creative tank for the better part of the season, claimed he and his teammates last received their salaries in February.
"I'm yet to receive salaries for April, May and June. Anytime I ask about it, I'm told to wait as the issue is being sorted out. I now wish to appeal to the club's ardent fans to find a way of bailing me out from my predicament," said Mugheni.
Mugheni claims he has been neglected and left to his own fate after sustaining a knee injury in their Betway Cup quarterfinal match against Bungoma Superstars in Thika which they won 4-2.
"Nobody has bothered to visit me to find out how I'm fairing and what can be done to get me back on my feet for our remaining league and domestic cup assignments," said Mugheni.
However, Tom Juma — who doubles up as team manager and assistant coach —has dismissed Mugheni's statement as entirely misleading, adding he has already been taken for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pending a procedure.
"It is not true that we have neglected Mugheni. The club actually took him for MRI and that's what revealed the extent of his injury. Plans are on course to take him for a procedure to rectify the problem. It will definitely take some time because we have to source for funds," said Juma.
Mugheni says he has no intentions whatsoever of having the salary dispute with the club settled by the world football governing body, Fifa, but maybe coerced into such a decision if push comes to shove.
"As much as that would seem the easier path to follow, I don't want it to go that direction but again, should push come to shove, I will be left with no alternative but to resort to Fifa for justice," he said.
Acquired from Rayon Sports of Rwanda at the start of this season, Mugheni who now has three months left on his contract, said he has been forced to borrow heavily from teammates and friends in order to survive and has even retired to bed on an empty stomach on several occasions.
But what bothers him, even more, is the fact that his elderly parents who have been relying on him for their daily upkeep have been left in a quagmire with nobody else to turn to.
"Honestly, I can't even afford to feed myself and the situation has been made worse by the injury I'm nursing at the moment which has rendered me immobile. Lately, I've been reduced to begging from friends to survive, but I'm afraid it won't be long before I run out of people to help me anymore, especially considering I'm in a foreign country," said Mugheni.
