Taking part in a major competition requires a good preparation. This is not the case for some selections. As the African Nations Championship (CHAN) kicks off on January 13, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali's selections have been troubled by bonus issues.
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) starts on January 13, 2023 in Algeria. If some selections have already begun their preparation in all serenity, others have, however, had some disturbances. This is the case of the DRC and Mali who are affected by stories of premiums.
While they were to rally in Tunisia in the evening of Tuesday for a training camp of a few days, the Eagles of Mali refused to board their planes according to Sportsmali. The players of the A' team claimed their qualification bonuses that they had not received so far. The local team finally flew to Tunisia on Tuesday evening. They will carry out a 10-day training course before going to Oran, in Algeria.
#CHANAlgérie2022 | Les #AiglesLocaux se sont envolés ce soir pour la #Sousse en #Tunisie. Ils rallieront #Oran en #Algérie après dix jours de stage. pic.twitter.com/LkRgvmIUSo
— FEMAFOOT (@femafoot) January 3, 2023
The local Eagles are not a special case. In 2021, the first team had already begun a strike to claim their qualification bonuses for the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup. Yves Bissouma and company had skipped training while preparing for the reception of Uganda for the last match of the qualifications. The Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) will only pay the full amount of the bonuses before the departure of the team for the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Finalist of the last CHAN, Mali is housed in group D with Angola, Gambia and Mauritania. The Eagles will make their debut on January 16 against the Angolans.
🇨🇬 En dévoilant sa liste pour le CHAN 2022, le sélectionneur du Congo Jean Élie Ngoya Obackas n’a pas manqué d’alerter l’État sur le besoin d’accompagnement de l’équipe nationale locale, nécessaire pour une bonne participation à la compétition.
🔗 https://t.co/08duc4pPjg#SNA pic.twitter.com/KLdP1cNzAe
— Sport News Africa (@snewsafrica) January 2, 2023
DRC: FECOFA caught by a time bomb
Like the Malian team, the DRC team is also experiencing a hectic preparation. While the Leopards are getting ready to go for their 3rd CHAN, a story of bonuses undermines their preparation. When asked about the issue, the coach of the local team, Otis Ngoma, did not mince his words. He even speaks of lack of respect, he who does not even have an official contract. "We played two friendly games without receiving our bonuses. When we are not told anything, I take it for a lack of consideration or negligence," said the Congolese technician.
