THERE is no end in sight to the problems that have hit Dynamos Football Club with players vowing they will not return to training if their grievances are not addressed to their satisfaction.
HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
The striking players yesterday compiled a list of 19 grievances which they said should immediately be met by the club. The players downed tools on Monday and even an address by club chairman Keni Mubaiwa, who was accompanied by the club’s secretary-general Webster Chikengezha, at Gwanzura Stadium, could not yield a positive result.
However, the players have agreed they will fulfil their Chibuku Super Cup first round fixture against Black Rhinos at Gwanzura tomorrow, but under protest. They said they would play the match out of respect for their supporters and the tournament sponsors.
Concerns that were raised on the list, which was seen by NewsDay, include issues of winning bonuses and camping allowances – some owed from last year — signing-on fees and poor camping facilities when playing away
The players are also demanding that all the players registered and those injured should be paid allowances, as well as the junior players whom they said had not been paid since last year.
“As Dynamos players, we met with the executive today (yesterday) and failed to agree (sic). We have resolved to play the match (Chibuku Super Cup) under protest. We are doing this for our fans, the sponsors and the other stakeholders. Our intention is not to bring the game of football into disrepute,” read part of the statement by the players.
Players who spoke to NewsDay Sport on condition of anonymity said: “We are not happy with the way we are treated. We understand that the team has no money, but the executive should at least come and address us and tell us when and how they are going to pay us the money. We feel they don’t respect us as players.
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The last time we agreed with Chikengezha that they would pay us after our home game against Caps United only to hear through rumours that he was turned down by his fellow members. They could not even come back to inform us. We are still owed our monies from last year, from our last match of the season against Black Mambas and against Tripple B in the Mbada Diamonds Cup.”
Another player added: “We are treated badly every time we play outside Harare, the camping conditions are not good. Can you imagine we were told to travel back to Harare after the Highlanders game because they said the team did not have money to book us a place to sleep in Bulawayo? The food we ate was bought from some garage on the way and two players Tatenda (Mukuruva) and Blessing (Moyo) contracted diarrhoea from that food.
And why is that such a big team like ours only rely on gate takings? The club cannot even pay the bills for the injured players, players who were injured on duty. And when you seek your own medical attention, you won’t get a refund. We can go on and on, the problems are many.”
Mubaiwa has come out and said the club is broke, an announcement which could mean there is no end in sight for the strike.
“Everybody knows our situation. People come to Dynamos and they play first and get paid later,” Mubaiwa said.
The players were expected to meet with the technical team at the match venue this morning to plan how they would go about tomorrow’s Chibuku Cup business. Dynamos are likely to be punished heavily on the field of play, as they are meeting a very improved Rhinos side who are unbeaten in their last five matches, winning three. But the action starts this afternoon with three matches lined up.
ZPC Kariba will be looking to transfer their league form into the cup game when they engage Harare City at Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma.
At Mandava, FC Platinum new boss Norman Mapeza will be looking for a good start when his side hosts Bantu Rovers, a team which should not give him many problems.Caps United’s recent resurgence will be put to test by Chapungu at Rufaro Stadium. Highlanders head back to the venue of their last cup heartache when they travel to Ascot in Gweru to meet an unpredictable Shabanie Mine tomorrow.
