×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Dynamos’ Murape, Mutuma exchange blows

Sport
Two senior Dynamos players, Murape Murape and Rodreck Mutuma, were reportedly involved in a training bust-up

WHEN it appeared that things were beginning to normalise at Dynamos after the Premiership football club’s striking players returned to training on Monday, things took a nasty turn yesterday when two senior players, Murape Murape and Rodreck Mutuma, were reportedly involved in a training bust-up.

HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER

According to sources at Dynamos, the two were embroiled in a nasty confrontation over allowances that had been presented to them by the executive.

The Dynamos players boycotted training the whole of last week over allowances and bonuses, possibly resulting in the team’s one-nil loss to Black Rhinos in the Chibuku Super Cup match last Sunday.

However, things had appeared to be returning back to normal after the players were persuaded back to training and had their normal training session on Monday.

But the situation deteriorated yesterday when Murape, the captain of the team, and fellow striker Mutuma reportedly exchanged blows soon after the team’s training session at Zimphos in Msasa, Harare.

The source described the pair’s fight as “brutal” and said the other players were stunned by its vicious nature.

“It was bad,” said one player. “The SG [secretary-general] Mr [Webster] Chikengezha brought some money which we were supposed to share, but there were some disagreements on how we should segment it. It was meant for the 18 players who were in the squad for the Rhinos game, but we wanted it to be shared among all the players, including those [who are] injured. That’s when the problem started.

“Murape was leading a group of players who wanted all the players to benefit. But that meant we would get a small amount so he said we should return it to force the executive to add some more.

“But Mutuma objected saying we should take the little that had been availed. The argument became too personal as the two began to exchange harsh words.

“Unfortunately, it then generated into a fist-fight. They exchanged some blows and Murape was struck with a broom before we intervened.”

No comment could be obtained from Mutuma or Murape as they were not picking their calls, but Chikengezha admitted that the two had been involved in a confrontation. He, however, said it was not as nasty as had been reported.

“I was there and I can’t say the two fought, but it was just an argument. I don’t even know what they were arguing about, but I later intervened and everything was fine,” Chikengezha said.

When asked if he had gone to the training ground to give the players their allowances, Chikengezha said: “I had gone to see the team training, just that. We resolved those issues [allowances and bonuses] with the players,” he added.

Yesterday’s incident is the second time in a space of three days that Mutuma has been involved in a fight with a fellow player after his bust-up with Rhinos defender Abel Gada in the Sunday Chibuku Cup match, earning both players red cards.

Another source said although it was difficult to isolate the fight between Murape and Mutuma as the cause of the brawl, Mutuma was likely to be sacrificed with his exit imminent.

“After what he [Mutuma] did on Sunday, it’s not difficult on who would be axed if the club decides to do that. I can’t say Rody [Mutuma] was to blame for the fight, but he is likely to be sacrificed,” said the source.

Yesterday’s incident is the last the team would have hoped for ahead of their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter against Hwange at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.

The match had initially been set for Gwanzura, but Chikengezha yesterday said they had moved it to the Mbare stadium.

Meanwhile, Murape last night reportedly told close friends that he was thinking of quitting Dynamos after the altercation.

Dynamos will be without head coach Kalisto Pasuwa, who is attending a Caf A coaching course at Zifa Village in Mt Hampden.

Pasuwa was initially expelled from the course, together with ZPC Kariba coach Saul Chaminuka, after failing to pay participation fee.

But Pasuwa went back this week after a well-wisher paid for him while Chaminuka’s fee was paid for by his club. Chaminuka and his assistant Godfrey Tamirepi, who is also attending the course, will also miss his team’s trip to Chapungu.

The other PSL coaches who are attending the highly-rated coaching course and will miss their team’s midweek matches are Caps United’s Taurai Mangwiro, Buffalioes’ Luke Masomere, the Hwange pair of coach Nation Dube and his assistant Mebelo Njekwa, Mandla Mpofu of Bantu Rovers and John Nyikadzino of Chapungu.