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NewsDay

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Peace finally prevails at Dynamos

Sport
It has taken Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamus intervention to end the four-day turmoil at Dynamos Football Club. The Dynamos camp was this week rocked by a player strike. They were demanding bonuses for winning the league among other allowances they said they were owed by the club. Some of the players also claim […]

It has taken Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamus intervention to end the four-day turmoil at Dynamos Football Club.

The Dynamos camp was this week rocked by a player strike. They were demanding bonuses for winning the league among other allowances they said they were owed by the club.

Some of the players also claim that they had not received their signing-on fees, and had vowed to resume training on condition that the money reflected in their bank accounts.

Repeated efforts by the Keni Mubaiwa-led executive to convince the players to return to work had fallen on deaf ears.

Saddened by the chaos at the club, Shamu, who is also the club patron, yesterday morning sweet-talked the players who immediately agreed to resume training.

The meeting, which was attended by players and the entire executive, took place at Dynamos training ground, Raylton Sports Club.

Shamu confirmed meeting the players, but said: I dont discuss football matters with the Press.

However, sources who attended the meeting said Shamu pleaded with the players to return to work while he looks for a sponsor who can pay off the debt.

There was not much that was discussed in the meeting. The minister just told the players that he would look for a sponsor to pay off the debt. He said all the players should go back to training.

In fact, he wanted them to start training just after the meeting but because the coaches are attending a refresher course, they couldnt. The players, however, agreed to start training tomorrow (today), said the source.

Players who spoke to NewsDay Sport on condition of anonymity confirmed they had agreed to resume training.

It was out of respect for the minister. He has done a lot for us. He promised to get us the money and we know he will do it. We have agreed to start training tomorrow (today). We will, however, continue to press the executive to give us our bonuses.

Another player said: We have money problems with the executive, but that was not the big problem.

Money problems have always been there at Dynamos. The main issue was that the executive was not being truthful to us.

They didnt even want to address us. We would come to the training ground every day, but they didnt come to address us. We had a very fruitful meeting with them today though and

they have promised to look into our problems. We hope they will fulfil their promises this time around. After the meeting with Shamu, the executive proceeded to convene their own meeting at their National Sports Stadium offices in the afternoon.

Stand-in captain Guthrie Zhokinyi represented the players at the meeting while team manager Richard Chihoro, who spent the week misleading the nation that the players were not on strike but on leave, represented the technical team at the meeting.

No comment from the people who attended the meeting could be obtained.

The latest development has put an end to a terrible week for Dynamos, as the players strike was threatening to plunge the teams Champions League preparations into chaos.

However, it looks like their preparations for the continental premier club competition are already off the rails as three players who the club had registered for the competition have left. Striker Cuthbert Malajila last month joined South African Premiership club Maritzburg United while goalkeeper Washington Arubi is rumoured to be in Poland.

Takesure Chinyama, who had been earmarked to fill the void left by Malajila, also flew out of the country for Turkey on Thursday.