Former Dynamos striker, Roderick Mutuma, finally agreed terms with Highlanders yesterday and has signed a deal with the Bulawayo football giants.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Common ground was reached after a Highlanders “benefactor” offered to pay Mutuma’s signing-on fees after the cash-strapped club had offered $1 000, which the former Bloemfontein Celtic striker turned down.
Negotiations went on for the better part of the day, as the two parties failed to agree on the fees.
Following the intervention of a well-wisher, a businessman man based in Bulawayo, the two parties finally found each other. After the second round of negotiations in the afternoon, Mutuma’s manager, Carlos Tavengwa, said they had agreed terms and Mutuma was set to sign after meeting the “benefactor”.
“We have agreed terms with Highlanders and all the hiccups that were obtaining have been dealt with. The contract has been drafted, but we have been told that we have to meet with someone later in the day together with the Highlanders executive. If all goes well and after we agree in the final negotiations, Mutuma will put pen to paper this evening (yesterday),” Tavengwa said.
Highlanders acting chairman, Modern Ngwenya, was confident the deal would be concluded in the morning, but that was not to be.
Later in the day, Ngwenya also confirmed the two parties were meeting later in the evening to finalise the deal.
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“We have never had a player who has brought so much attention like Mutuma. We are meeting again later and there is a benefactor, who is paying the signing-on fees. I am sure by then, Mutuma will sign. It’s just a matter of time,” he said.
After training with Highlanders last week, coach, Erol Akbay, recommended that the club executive committee sign Mutuma.
Akbay spoke glowingly about Mutuma, whom he said would bring a wealth of experience into the Bosso frontline, which lost Knox Mutizwa and Bruce Kangwa last year.
Sources said Highlanders were under pressure to up the stakes for Mutuma, as they owe other players signing-on fees, including those that have renewed their contracts for 2017.
Mutuma was shown the exit door at Dynamos following disciplinary issues and wants to relaunch his career at Bosso. Late yesterday, pictures of Mutuma signing a contract, with Ngwenya in attendance, emerged.
