The players sacked by relegated Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) side Shooting Stars have threatened to report the club to the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers (NANPF) over the club’s failure to settle their two months’ salaries.

Shooting Stars have already started preparing for life in the Nigeria National League (NNL) after their relegation from the NPFL was confirmed in September. To this effect, the Ibadan-based outfit sacked 20 players in October and retained the same amount of players in addition to the appointment of former player Edith Agoye as nee head coach.

Some of the players sacked by the Ibadan-based outfit include Wasiu Jimoh, Junior Merenini, Suraju Sadiq, Abu Azeez, Tolulope Olaifa and many more.

The two months’ salaries of the sacked players were reportedly not paid by the club and the situation was aggravated by the club’s decision to pay the two months’ salaries of the retained players.

In a chat with the Punch newspapers, one of the sacked players said:

“It was surprising when we heard that the  players retained  were paid their two months’ salaries while we were left out of the payment.

“Shooting Stars  are owing  us  July and August salaries and we expected that the money would come along with those who have been paid but that didn’t happen. We contacted the team manager and some other officials of the club about our salaries but we were told to wait.

“Our fear is that we might not get our money from the club. We have told them that we will report the matter to the players’ union and we expect the union to assist us.” he added.

NANPF Secretary-General, Austin Popo, thereafter confirmed to the news outlet that they have not received any complaints from the players. In his words, Popo said:

“We have already told all players  who were not paid after being sacked by their  clubs to come to us with  their  contract details. We will ensure that they get their entitlements. The clubs have to pay them after sacking  them.”

Source: Punch