Moroka Swallows goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi says the recent players’ strike should serve as a lesson to the club management.
Swallows were recently slapped with an R1 million fine by the PSL DC after failing to honour two DStv Premiership matches in December.
The matches against Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows have since been ruled as walk-overs. This was after the Swallows players decided against playing the two matches as a protest over unpaid salaries.
Swallows have since embarked on a disciplinary hearing process against the players for downing tools as a way to express their dissatisfaction with their pay and working conditions at the Soweto club.
A LESSON FOR THE MOROKA SWALLOWS MANAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE
“One thing that I know for sure is that this situation must allow the management to learn how to handle things from here forward,” said Akpeyi on the sidelines of the launch of the second PSL Player Transition Programme on Monday.
“It’s strange that is happening to me because I never saw it coming. But it’s something that now that it is here, the only thing that I can do is to try as much as possible not to let it pull me back because it can be demotivating because I want to play. I want to be on the field to play.
“But unfortunately, I have to be in a situation where I have to be ahead of competitive football while fighting for money or other things. That doesn’t reflect well on the younger players who grow up to experience this kind of situation,” added the Swallows goalkeeper, Akpeyi.
The 37-year-old is confident that the management of the club will sort out their differences with the players ahead of the second round of the season.
“They are beginning to resolve that issue now. I know that there is a disciplinary hearing now with some of the players which is on. But unfortunately, I can’t be there at this point in time.
“The information that I have gathered so far is that they are trying to resolve it, and they are trying to get back into the mid pre-season before the league kick-off,” he said.
RELATED STORY: Swallows hit with hefty fine by PSL Disciplinary Committee
