Six Nigerian Female Footballers, in pursuit of football, the chance to impress, and the prospect of a lucrative contract, has found themselves in a dark shadow I as they being abandoned by Liberian Female Soccer Club, DC Shooters.
DC Shooters alias thethe Indomitable Shooters, is Liberian Female Football Club, competing in the Liberia Football Association (LFA) Women Division League.
By: Emmanuel wise Jipoh
Embarking on a career at the elite club, Grace T. OJO, forward age: 18, Gladys Ajoku seckor, Midfielder age: 18, Bintu F Adams, defender, age: 18, Ambaly Sekinah, goalkeeper age: 18, Mary seah, defender, age: 16, and Charity C Naomi, forward, age: 18yrs, have all been allegedly abandon and neglected by Liberian female Club, DC Shooters.
Speaking to Liberian Sports International, in grieves, the teenage female footballers, said they were lured by DC Shooters Female Football Club, in September 2022, to help strengthen the Liberian side and they signed a contract of two years each, that includes Salary and accommodation, but claimed they have never been paid, neglected and thrown out of a family home, of the Club President John Winn, that was used to accommodate them.
Grace T. Ojo, a forward, who lastly played for Black Stone FC, in Benin, before being lured by DC Shooters said, they were all sigend under false pretences, of a two year contract each, to be paid a sum of $140 USD per month, but since the reading of the Contract as of October 1, 2022, they haven’t been paid a dime by the club, and their welfare and well-being hasn’t been met, as they have been left stranded in a single room, in a family House, allegedly owned by the Club President, Mr. John Winn.
The female footballers whose salaries have not been paid for four months now, are stranded, after they were thrown out of the House,.
According to them to make matters worse they have all been Suspended by the Club for time indefinite for what they said demanding of their four months salaries arrears, owed them by the club.
Mary Seah, a 16-year-old defender, told Liberian Sports International, since She came to Liberia, from Nigeria to play for DC Shooters, under the request of her Manager identify as ODUNAYO PRINCE ADENIYI, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Excel FA, International Football Academy, Lagos, Nigeria, in a corporative agreement with Mr. John Winn, President of DC Shooters, but the Club has defaulted with all of the agreement signed through a two-years contract, that run from October 1, 2022, to April 31, 2024.
According to Seah, in her contract that is in possession of Liberian Sports International (LSI) reviews, transportation from Nigeria to Liberia, for $350USD, feeding $155USD monthly, Security of $80USD monthly, Accommodation of 240USD yearly and a Net Salaries of $140 United States dollars, has all been default by the club.
Charity C. Naomi, explained that they have remained in Streets of Monrovia, after the club thrown them out of the Camp, deliberately suspending them for demanding their salaries, She said they have been treated bad by family members of the Club President John Winn, and many times sleep without food, only to be aided by some good individuals and Nigerian friends, in the community of which they reside.
“I am frustrated and tire with the constraints, I’m faced with, no good place for sleeping, no food to eat, sometimes we go for games and training hungry, how do you expects us to concentrate on the ball, and play better with this constraints, we are faced with, Naomi said.
But yet, we have been managing with them, telling us, they’re going pay us, and we should relax, but things are getting out of hands now, because they ignored our concern and Mr. John Winn, has been constantly threatening us, that he’s not going to give our money, and besides we are Nigerians , and the Liberian Football Association (LFA) is going to do nothing about it, She said in graves,“ All I want is my money, my Salaries, I’ve play for, I don’t want to play for Shooters again, and not interested in playing football in Liberia again because of this, the 18-year-old forward said to Liberian Sports International.
“I am from a poor home, and play football to help my family,“ no mother, no father, my siblings depends on me to cater to them, “here I’m playing football with no salary, not even a perdim, one cent, I haven’t getting from shooters, nothing to go home with and nothing to fall back upon, all we demands is our money, said Ambaly Sekinah,“ I am dying of hunger , please they should pay us so that we can go back home or find another opportunity elsewhere to continue our playing, Bintu F Adams,” added.
The players, said they have t sent an open appeals to the Liberia Football Association (LFA) through its President Mustapha Raji, to help ensured that they get their salaries from DC Shooters, narrating the frustrated female footballers, all of Nigeria, said they have completed the first phase of the LFA Women League Football Season, and where told they were going to get their salaries, before the starts of the Second phase, but with no word from DC Shooters Football Club authorities, they have been left with no solution, but seek resolution through the Press, to have their case resolve.
The Nigerian Female footballers, also a accuse Mr. John Winn, of registering them under a Liberian Nationalities, in order to put an halt to every complain of abandonment, they said Mr. Winn has been threatening them with Police, since they started , requesting for their salaries.
In WhatsApp Conversation with Liberian Sports International, Mr. ODUNAYO PRINCE ADENIYI, of Excel FA, International Football Academy, Lagos, Nigeria and Manager of the players, confirmed that the girls were stranded in Liberia, and DC Shooters have break, every contract agreement signed between the parties.
He said the players, were taken from Nigeria to Liberia, with an Agreement of monthly salary of $200 USD, accommodations, lodging, feedings, among other essential needs like internet access, but the club has gone contrary to the agreement, after the players travel from Nigeria to Liberia, forcing them to signed a contract, worth $140 USD, but yet still default with the payment of the players.
Mr. Adeniyi Prince, said Mr. John Winn, has since refuse to pick his phone and communicate with him, since the players complain to him.
When contacted, the Mr. John Winn, President of DC Shooters, to have his said of the allegation his phone rang tirelessly, up to Press Time. Meanwhile the footballers, remain stranded in Liberia.