AFC Leopards defender confirms departure, sues club

Veteran defender Collins Shivachi has confirmed that he has left the club and hinted that he has reported the club to the Sports Tribunal over unpaid dues.

Shivachi has been at the den since 2019, when he signed for the club from Tusker FC and was one of the longest-serving players at the club. However, the expiration of his contract and the fact that there were no renewal talks between him and the club meant the club had decided to move on without him after massively signing players following the lifting of their transfer ban.

The club is said to owe the player an unspecified amount of money in salary and allowance arrears, and he has now taken to social media to announce that he has reported the club to the Sports Tribunal. He, however, promised to remain a club supporter despite the ongoing legal tussle between him and Ingwe.

"It's time to announce and clear the air: I ran out of contract and am no longer a member of this great club. Despite going to the tribunal, I'll remain a great supporter and a big contributor to the club. Thank you, and I am happy to be part of the club. Thanks for the memories. all the best. See you soon! AFC Leopards SC," read his Facebook post.

The Leopards have in recent years found themselves on the wrong end of the law for breaching players’ and coaches’ contracts. The biggest of them all is the case at FIFA between them and former coach Patrick Aussems, which resulted in the coach being awarded over Ksh 20 million in compensation. It took high-level intervention for the two parties to strike a payment plan that resulted in Ingwe’s transfer ban being lifted.

Other than Shivachi, other players who have exited the den include Tedian Esilaba, Robert Mudenyu, Peter Thiongo, Olo Olaniyi, and Eugene Mukangula.

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