The financial crisis plaguing the Tshinkunku football club in Kananga is putting its future in jeopardy. Since the start of the 2023-2024 season, the team has been going through a period of unprecedented financial precariousness. The problems reached such a level that the team had not paid the entry fees to the League before its match against Lubumbashi sport on September 7.
Faced with this critical situation, the governor of Kasai-Central, John Kabeya Shikayi, intervened by paying a sum of $4,000 to cover the commitment costs on behalf of the province. In addition, he promised to ensure travel documents for the group which is currently stuck in Kinshasa.
Despite these efforts, the club’s finances remain at rock bottom. The club’s president, Alexis Kayembe, who was formerly an advisor to head of state Félix Tshisekedi, is currently abroad due to health problems, which has affected his financial participation. For his part, Vice-President Berly Beya, also absent for personal reasons, declared having spent more than ten thousand dollars from his own pocket, highlighting a certain weariness in the management of Tshinkunku.
This financial crisis also had an impact on team morale. Some players even boycotted some training sessions out of uncertainty about the club’s participation this season in Linafoot.
To try to overcome these difficulties, the club committee established its headquarters in Lubumbashi for home matches, due to the lack of an approved stadium in Kananga. Appeals for help were also made to supporters and potential benefactors to help the struggling team.
Returning to the first division after a season in Ligue 2, Tshinkunku finds himself confronted with internal problems which jeopardize his future. Linafoot’s new regulations could even lead the club to fight for its survival, both on and off the field.
In this difficult context, Tshinkunku’s next match against TP Mazembe promises to be crucial, because it could determine the future of the club. Let’s hope that solutions will be found to save this emblematic Kananga team and allow it to regain its former glory.