Players who gives their life to a a club project regardless of the jumbo incentives, salary caps they are placed on should be properly treated by the club when they are injured, needing operation, infact their well-being in general should be given paramount attention to.
An headline report from FIFPRO has made rounds in the internet today after Congolese union UFC were approached by two players over negligence by their club and that they were waiting months for their respective clubs to pay for operations having been injured while on duty, as it is from DR Congo, so it is for Nigeria.
Many Nigerian players careers have ended prematurely due to suffering fatal injuries while on duties for their respective clubs but the club in response decides to let them battle it on their own, move on in recruiting new players to take their place in the team. Not just his physical well-being being damaged due to such treatment, emotionally, they are traumatized.
Following this disturbing reports from Congo, the Congolese player union UFC is urging directors of football clubs in the country to take responsibility when their players are dealing with long-term injuries or require surgery, a parable that Nigerian clubs should heed to.
Congolese union UFC was informed by two players that they were waiting months for their respective clubs to pay for operations
It was only after intervention from the UFC that the clubs cooperated
“It’s worrying that some clubs in our top division are treating their players like this” says UFC President Herita Ilunga
Congolese player union UFC is urging directors of football clubs in DR Congo to take responsibility when their players are dealing with long-term injuries or require surgery.
Recently, the UFC was informed by two players that they were waiting months for their respective clubs to pay for much-needed operations. It was only after intervention from the UFC that the clubs cooperated.
In November 2022, AS Vita Club and DR Congo national team defender Gloire Nzungu ruptured his left Achilles tendon during training. When in hospital, doctors informed Nzungu that he required surgery to help him recover from the career-threatening injury.
The management of his club, however, at first refused to pay the USD 900 required for the operation. They also stopped paying Nzungu’s salary, even though the player had a contract until 2024. Consequently, Nzungu had difficulties with making ends meet.
In January, a delegation of the player union visited Nzungu to discuss his situation and provide him with financial support to assist his daily needs. After the visit, the UFC contacted the leadership of Vita Club, telling them to find a solution to Nzungu’s precarious situation.
In setting up such committees to serve as check and balances to Nigerian clubs found wanting in such aspect, the Nigeria Football Federation has tasked some committees to oversee that and the reformations can be seen in the demands of the IMC before a professional team can participate in any league in the country, much progress if you ask me.
After local media picked up on Nzungu’s cry for help, the club finally reacted. Vita Club arranged an operation which the player underwent in February, almost three months after picking up the injury on the club’s training pitch.
Now, Nzungu is recovering and has started receiving his salary again but he has not received any visit from the club’s management since he had the surgery.
“It is worrying that some clubs who are playing professional football in our top division are treating their players like this,” said UFC President Herita Ilunga.
“These players are workers and they have rights. The clubs, and also the federation (Fecofa) and the league (Linafoot), must take responsibility to protect the health of the players, and they should require professional clubs to provide health cover and impose this in a licensing system. It will not only benefit the players, but the game as well.”
For Nigerian professional clubs, health covers should be imposed on their licensing players to guarantee the safety of this players, a move by which the management committees of respective league bodies should implement.
