On Tuesday, The Mast Newspaper reported that players have threatened to boycott training should the government fail to honour its promise of paying AfCON bonuses.
Sources revealed to Bolanews that some players opted to sit out of the morning gym session in protest of the unpaid bonuses.
Following Zambia’s qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations, the government pledged U$S 5,000 per player as a qualifying bonus after ending Chipolopolo’s eight-year wait for an AfCON appearance.
However, the players have not received that money.
The players are said to have seized the opportunity during preparations for the World Cup qualifiers against Congo and Niger to threaten a boycott.
In an interview, Nkandu stated that technically, the government owes the players no bonuses other than the promised US$ 5,000.
“We don’t owe the boys,” Nkandu said. “The issue that they may talk about is the issue of the qualifying bonus, which is not written anywhere. It was just a motivation by the Government, we just wanted to motivate them, not that we are owing them.
“It is not a contractual obligation between the government and the boys that we are always going to be paying qualifying bonuses, no! We don’t owe them,” Nkandu said.
“It was a promise, so will fulfil it,” Nkandu
He said the Government is working round the clock to settle the bill.
“Because it was a promise that we were going to give them a qualifying bonus, we are going to fulfil it. Before the game starts on Friday, this money would have been paid. We are making frantic efforts,” he said.
READ MORE: Chipolopolo injuries explained ahead of Congo Brazzaville clash
Nkandu also registered his disappointment over the reports of a threatened boycott.
“We should not be treated like that by our own people; they are not just playing for me as a minister; they are playing for the 20 million Zambians,” Nkandu said.
