NAIROBI, Kenya, June 4 – Harambee Stars coach Antoine Hey failed to travel with his team to Nigeria on Thursday morning.
Hey who was appointed in February did not turn up at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airrport (JKIA) from where the Stars departed for Abuja ahead of Sunday’s World Cup qualifier.
Harambee Stars management committee official Hussein Mohamed told Capital Sport that Hey had not received payment for the second quarter of his contract because the funds had not been processed in time.
Initially it was agreed that the German government will remunerate the former Liberia coach for the first quarter of his tenure while Kenya will take over from the subsequent quarter.
On Wednesday, players received their allowances from Youth and Sports Affairs minister Professor Helen Sambili at their camp with the minister promising full and total support from the team and the technical staff.
Stars assistant coach Twahir Muhiddin will lead the team in now what seems to be an impossible task to beat the Super Eagles on their home turf.
Stars are currently bottom of Group B without any points while Nigeria are third on the log with one point.
Hey’s tenure as Stars coach has been punctuated by controversy ranging from dropping of crucial players to forcing clubs to signing commitment letters to have their players in camp for an extended period of time.
This latest development is a body blow to the Stars chances of progressing in the world cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
