The treasurer has also revealed she felt players should have skipped travelling to Algeria so the money could be spent on salaries instead
Gor Mahia treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo has apologised to coach Sammy Omollo for her misguided rant against him.
The official had stated the coach was naive as far as Caf Champions League matches are concerned and it was the reason why he was rigid in changing his tactics in the 6-0 loss to CR Belouizdad.
He further hit out at the Posta Rangers coach for saying K’Ogalo were not ready for their game since they had not trained.
“I am very sorry [my opinion] came out badly,” Odhiambo apologised to Omollo via a text seen by Goal.
“It was my opinion and I did not stop to think that it would end up being turned into a circus and I believe I apologized and accepted the correction right in the studio.
“I am sorry ‘Pamzo’, as a matter of fact, from now henceforth I will never attend any technical meeting again. Let me focus on money matters, please forgive me.”
This has happened while the K’Ogalo players are at home after refusing to train for the second leg of the game against the Algerian team until their dues are settled.
The players reluctantly agreed to play in the first leg and Dolfina revealed she had given them an option before the team left for Algeria on December 24 for the game that was played two days later.
She claimed it would have been prudent for the club to pay the players instead of honouring the Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad.
The official stated she engaged the players on whether they were in a good state to face the Algerian side, and through the assistant captain Philemon Otieno, they affirmed they were prepared.
“‘Are we really ready to go and play?’ That is what I asked the players and through the [assistant] captain Otieno they affirmed readiness,” Odhiambo said on Saturday.
“Yes, we had the money but I would have wished that we did not honour the game and use the money, where we had to pay Ksh4 million for the flight alone, to pay the players.”
The treasurer also said that stand-in head coach Omollo should not in any way blame financial issues at the club as the main reason that led to the embarrassing defeat.
“So, that should not be the main reason why Omollo would say made us be defeated,” she continued.
“Empty pockets on the part of the players might have contributed to poor results but not at the level the coach is trying to put it. That is my honest opinion.
“The boys were ready for it and were certainly upbeat. They were happy that I brought them to a nice place in Algeria and not a River Road Hotel [a sub-standard hotel in the Kenyan context].”
