Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
CHICKEN Inn FC is facing mounting scrutiny after goalkeeper Issah Ali publicly accused the club of abandoning him following a serious training ground injury, despite being under contract until December 2025.
In a detailed personal statement titled “Abandoned While Injured – My Story as a Chicken Inn FC Player”, Ali alleges that he sustained the injury during an official training session in September 2024, while fully committed to the club.
However, instead of receiving the necessary medical and financial support, the goalkeeper claims Chicken Inn stopped paying his salary, offered no assistance with treatment, and placed him on the transfer list just four months later, in January 2025.
“They left me with no support and no treatment,” wrote Ali in the statement, which was addressed to the media, football authorities and the public.
He also rejected claims that he joined the club already injured — a defence he says the club has used to avoid responsibility.
“What hurt even more was the false claim that I joined the club already injured. That is not true. No medical tests were done when I signed. That failure was not mine; it was the club’s responsibility to assess and protect both the player and the team,” Ali said.
Still under contract with Chicken Inn until the end of the year, Ali says he attempted to resolve the matter respectfully by submitting a proposal offering two solutions: either assistance with medical expenses or a fair settlement that would allow him to recover and continue his career. Yet, according to him, the club has ignored every effort.
“To this day, I remain unfit to play. I have received no medical support. My salary and signing-on fee remain unpaid. All my efforts to resolve this respectfully have been ignored,” he said.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper revealed the emotional and financial toll the situation has taken on him, stating he is now unable to provide for his family.
“Football is my livelihood, and it is my way of supporting my loved ones. I am sharing this publicly not to attack anyone, but because players deserve better. Injured athletes should not be abandoned and forgotten.”
In response to the growing public backlash, Chicken Inn communications officer Nkululeko Nkala expressed surprise that the matter had reached social media, suggesting that discussions with the player were still ongoing.
“We are surprised as Chicken Inn that the issue is now all over social media when we are still on the negotiating table with the player. As a club, we can’t comment any further,” said Nkala.
Ali has since appealed to the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) to intervene and is urging the football community — including players, supporters, and the media — to advocate for stronger protection and welfare measures for injured players.
