Gor Mahia defender Shafik Batambuze in desperate need of money for surgery

Gor Mahia defender Shafik Batambuze is requesting well-wishers to help him raise the 400,000 Kenya Shillings required to pay for an operation on his left knee.

The Ugandan sustained the injury while turning out for K'Ogalo in the Caf Champions League match against Aigle Noir. The left-back is appealing for help after the club's failure to help him get medical attention owing to financial difficulties.

"I was injured last month [July] and an operation is needed on my knee for me to get better," Batambuze told Goal on Saturday.

"The surgery is a bit expensive for me, I have tried to follow up with my club but since we have no sponsor at the moment, things are a bit tough. I need to raise 400,000 shillings for the surgery and I am requesting help from well-wishers as well as the fans." 

"I want to come back to the pitch and play, and I will be very grateful for your help," Batambuze concluded.

Earlier on, Gor Mahia players staged a boycott over outstanding payments. But the club's CEO Omondi Aduda confirmed the club is struggling to meet its financial obligations and called for patience.

“Every team in the KPL is facing hard times not Gor Mahia alone and I wish our players could understand the situation we find ourselves in and continue to play as we sort things out,” Aduda told Goal.

“The players know very well our title sponsors SportPesa pulled out, they are the ones who used to give us money to pay them, we also returned from Algeria where we spent a lot of money for the Caf Champions League match.

“It is not that we don’t want to pay them…no, the problem is the situation we find ourselves in. No one is spared and every team in KPL is now feeling the pinch."

Philemon Otieno is another injured Gor Mahia players, and he needs Sh300,000 to undergo knee surgery in France.