Mapinduzi Cup money divides KCCA camp

By Swalley Kenyi

UGANDA’S CAF Champions League representatives KCCA FC are $10,000 (sh25m) richer courtesy of the Mapinduzi Cup victory in Zanzibar but the prize money has caused a rift between the players and club officials.

The players, who won the top prize, want to share out the whole amount while officials insist that both the cash prize and trophy has to first be presented to the board to decide what to do with it.

“Their (players) demand is unrealistic because the club pays them a salary, and also provided them an upkeep package before they travelled to Zanzibar. It will be the board to decide what to do with the cash prize,” KCCA vice chairman, Allan Ssewanyana, said on Tuesday.

Ssewanyana (pictured) said the board is due to sit and could decide, as an appreciation, to give the players up 70 per cent of the money or up their salaries ahead of their CAF Champions League encounter against El Merriek of Sudan next month.

Soon after winning the Mapinduzi Cup that comes with sh25m cash prize, a group of players demanded that the money be shared among themselves. 

KCCA and URA represented Uganda in soccer at the annual championship to mark Zanzibar’s independence.

KCCA beat Simba of Tanzania 1-0 to win the soccer tournament. The team is expected back in Kampala today.