SHOCKING figures that Tanzanian top-flight football league sides are offering Zimbabwean players have emerged. Of late, there has been an influx of local players to Tanzania where they have clinched contracts at clubs such as Azam, Simba SC and Young Africans, with life-changing sums being offered.
BY HENRY MHARA
Some of the figures that have been whispered to NewsDaySport render the local league payouts peanuts. Apart from Abbas Amibu’s curious case at Azam FC, everybody who has impressed on trial has not been hesitant to sign.
Method Mwanjali, who left Caps United in a huff after receiving a call from Simba SC, reportedly got a signing-on fee of $30 000, it has been learnt. A far cry from what he might have been receiving from Caps.
Even the highest-paying local teams, FC Platinum and Harare City, pay about a third of that amount and players rarely get it all at once.
It is the extra benefits that are the more impressive with players who ply their trade there getting an average monthly salary of $5 000.
And that is not all. On top of that, Simba SC, where Mwanjali now plies his trade, pay a winning bonus of $900 per game.
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The best-paying local clubs such as Harare City pay an average salary of $1 000 per month with winning bonuses around $400.
Most of the clubs, however, are far below those figures.
The signing-on fees, monthly salaries, and winning bonuses do not make up the full complement of benefits in the East African country as each player is entitled to a training allowance of $20 a day while they are also offered accommodation with the club taking care of the rentals.
Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa was offered a monthly salary of $12 000 by Simba Sports Club, but the former Dynamos mentor, who is on a $7 000 monthly salary in his current job, turned down the offer to try and see through his 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) mission.
The Zimbabwe senior national team coach, who was also offered a house and car as part of the package in addition to the salary and winning bonuses, led the Warriors to qualification for the Afcon finals that will be held in Gabon. He hopes that he can get another offer after the 2017 Afcon finals job is complete. Zifa, however, remain optimistic that they can hold on to the respected coach.
The Tanzanian top league, of late has been charmed by Zimbabweans with Bruce Kangwa and Francesco Zekumbawira joining Azam FC from Highlanders and Harare City respectively.
The clubs have promised that they will be coming for more local players whom they believe are some of the most talented on the continent.
But it is not only Zimbabweans that have been attracted by the Tanzanian riches, with Simba Sports Club shopping from powerhouses such as Esperance of Tunisia.
Defender Janvier Bekungu Besala signed for Simba Sports from Esperance having been plucked from the cash-rich TP Mazembe by the Tunisian giants.
Simba Sports Club also have the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mussa Dusha, Fredrick Blagnon of the Ivory Coast and Horn Laudit of Burundi in their set-up.
Last year Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side FC Platinum, lost midfielder Thabani Kamusoko and striker Donald Ngoma to Young Africans, where they went on to win the league title with the Tanzanian side.
