Ex-Gor Mahia striker Benson Omala is still in Kenya as he demands certain guarantees from Lebanese club Al-Safa before he considers returning to the Middle East.
Former Gor Mahia striker Benson Omala is in a standoff with Lebanese club Al-Safa after he failed to return to the Middle East nation following the conclusion of the international break.
Omala’s transfer to Lebanon has been shrouded in controversy after the player left the country just weeks into the move over what sources close to him described as a fishy deal.
The player joined the club early last month and even feature and scored for them in a friendly match but he was soon back in Kenya.
“He is back here because of a number of issues, one of them is the war in Lebanon which we are not comfortable with,” a source close to the player told Pulse Sports last month.
“The other issue is that the people who took him there lied to him. They claimed he would be paid a signing-on fee with the money to hit his account after one day but that did not happen.”
That issue of the signing-on fee is what has Omala stuck in Kenya as he is demanding this payment before he returns to Lebanon.
However, Al-Safa have told the player to return to the club before he gets his payment, but the striker has stuck to his guns, leading to a standoff.
This has Al-Safa now threatening to sue Omala at FIFA for what they claim to be a breach of contract.
Al-Safa begin their season with a home match against Racing Beirut on Saturday and would like to have Omala in the squad begore kick off.
The player was said to have been left disappointed by the deal and was not willing to go back to Lebanon but it seems he could have a change of heart if the payment in dispute is made.
