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Team manager Rufus Matsena and physiotherapist Dina Dhlomo were held back in Libya due to unpaid bills, incurred during the club's trip for an African Confederation Cup tie in Benghazi on March 19.
Marumo Gallants, a Premier Division football club from South Africa, has confirmed that two of its officials have been detained in Libya for over two weeks.
Team manager Rufus Matsena and physiotherapist Dina Dhlomo were held back in Libya due to unpaid bills, incurred during the club's trip for an African Confederation Cup tie in Benghazi on March 19.
Gallants have since been negotiating a settlement over the financial dispute, while the South African government has stepped in to help resolve the matter.
A statement released by the Gallants, where Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Ismail Watenga plies his trade, said that the club’s management is in contact with the two employees and that they are safe, but cannot return home until the matter is settled.
"Marumo Gallants management are in contact with the two employees, who have confirmed that they are safe and waiting for the matter to be settled," the club said.
Marumo Gallants has been struggling in the league, currently positioned at the bottom of the Premier Division.
However, the club's recent performance in the Confederation Cup has been impressive, as they qualified for the quarter finals and went on to win their group.
However, the costs associated with travel to matches in Algeria, Libya, and Zambia have reportedly left the club short of funds.
The situation was so dire that the club had to seek help from provincial authorities to cover the expenses of staging their last group game in the competition, which was hosted in Soweto, Johannesburg, on Sunday.
The trip to Libya was particularly challenging for the club, with the team's English coach, Dylan Kerr, describing it as a "nightmare."
The team had to spend three days in transit in Istanbul while waiting for onward tickets to Libya to be bought.
When they eventually flew to Benghazi on the day of the match, they arrived after the scheduled kick-off time and had to play in a new kit, as they had arrived without their own.
Meanwhile, their hosts, Al-Akhdar, were not informed of the late arrival of their opponents, nor the decision by the Confederation of African Football to postpone the kick-off time.
Consequently, they arrived at the stadium to find no referee, no officials, and no opponent.
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