Former AFC Leopards head coach Jaan Koops has asked his former club to settle his debt over a decade after leaving the club.
The renowned coach is currently battling with health issues and would like some of that money to help with his treatment.
According to reports online, the football club owes Jan millions of KSh in salary arrears for two contracts signed during his tenure.
The 83-year-old, who currently lives in Busia, is not in his best health as he needs a peacemaker, which he’d like the club to help him purchase.
He is battling a life-threatening heart condition, hence the peacemaker, and does not have the required funds to enable treatment.
Former AFC Leopards coach Jaan Koops is urging the club to settle a KES 9 million debt, which he claims they owe him from two contracts he signed during his tenure. Koops, who is battling a life-threatening heart condition, says part of the money would go toward purchasing a new… pic.twitter.com/CDTAroH0lY
— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) November 19, 2024
Jan has made several attempts to reach AFC chairman Dan Shikanda, which haven’t bore fruit.
“It would be fair if AFC Leopards recognized the urgency of the situation and responded, instead of remaining silent,” he told the Daily Nation.
No legal action needed
The Dutchman, who loved the club so much that fans nicknamed him ‘Wepukhulu,’ doesn’t want to go the legal route and is hoping that the two can reach an agreement.
The football coach has asked the club to cover KSh 1.9m from his first contract, paid in KSh 473k instalments, so he can afford the treatment he needs.
“Sometimes the pain is unbearable, sometimes not very bad. Today I couldn’t sleep,” he said.
From all the contracts with the club, Jan believes that the money owed to him is about KSh 9m. He is currently surviving on pensions from both the Kenyan and Dutch governments.
Jan served AFC in two different periods between 2011 and 2016 before leaving the club over financial difficulties.
