Crisis behind the glory: Rayon Sports staff face severe financial hardships

While Rayon Sports continues to lead the 2024/25 Rwanda Premier League, a storm brews behind the scenes as coaches and staff members struggle through financial distress, having gone unpaid for three consecutive months. The team’s internal troubles contrast sharply with its impressive performance on the pitch.

Rayon Sports, currently in a fierce race to reclaim the league title it last won in 2019, is facing mounting concerns over unpaid wages. While the players’ efforts on the field keep fans hopeful, backstage, several technical staff and employees are enduring a deepening financial crisis.

Reliable sources reveal that the last salary disbursed to non-playing staff was for the month of January. Speaking to Umuringa News, several members of the technical team described dire living conditions, food insecurity, and growing debts.

One coach said:

“This situation is unbearable. We’re starving. Some of us have families to support, but we’re unable to provide for them. When we go into residential training camps or matches, we do so with heavy hearts and no motivation.”

Another employee recounted how, prior to the match against Rutsiro FC, some staff members refused to join the training camp in protest of the unpaid salaries. Although they eventually joined, their morale was visibly low.

There is growing fear among staff that they might be paid for just one month to calm tensions temporarily, only for the management to disappear after the league ends.

“It’s possible they’ll pay us for just one month, then everyone walks away. The president has already stopped answering calls. It’s like we don’t exist anymore,” another staffer lamented.

Last week, staff members received a combined total of Rwf 300,000 as bonuses for recent wins against Rutsiro FC and Police FC—Rwf 150,000 per match. However, these funds barely scratch the surface of their growing financial burdens.

“That’s what we’ve been relying on for food and essentials, but it’s not enough. Some of our colleagues are in serious debt, and others have already been evicted from their rental homes,” one employee told us.

In response to the mounting frustrations, the club’s management has urged staff to remain patient, assuring them that salaries will be paid once the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) disburses prize money for Rayon Sports’ performance in the 2025 Peace Cup.

The team secured second place in both the men’s and women’s categories, entitling them to Rwf 5 million in each category. However, staff members argue that the total amount owed far exceeds this sum and are calling for more sustainable financial planning.

Despite these challenges, Rayon Sports tops the league with 59 points—just one point ahead of rivals APR FC. The team’s strong on-field performance has largely overshadowed the internal crisis, leaving the broader public unaware of the behind-the-scenes struggles.

With just three matches remaining in the season, staff worry that once the league concludes, the leadership will dissolve without addressing the outstanding payments.

Interviewed staff are urging the club’s leadership to value their contributions beyond the pitch.

“We may not be scoring goals, but we are the backbone of the team’s success. Ignoring us is unjust and undermines everything we work for,” one coach emphasized.

Rayon Sports is set to face Bugesera FC on Match Day 28 this Saturday.