DYNAMOS senior players remained on strike yesterday, as they failed to turn up for training although they were close to reaching an agreement with management over payment of outstanding salaries and allowances.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
It’s now more than a week since the players downed their tools in protest over the arrears, which they argue are long overdue.
Coach, Lloyd Mutasa was forced to send to battle a largely youthful squad against an experienced Caps United in the ZNA Charity Shield semi-final on Sunday.
Reports also suggested yesterday some of the players, who sent Caps United packing to set up a final against Bulawayo giants Highlanders, joined the industrial action.
Defenders, Marshal Machazane and Godfrey Mukambi are the only two senior players, who played against Caps United.
One of the senior players, who spoke to NewsDaySport on condition of anonymity, confirmed they did not take part in the training yesterday, but insisted the management was addressing the issue.
He said they could start training today.
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“The issue is being sorted out. By tomorrow (today), we should be back at training. We didn’t train today. Those that trained only had a 30 minutes work-out, but the management is doing everything to pay us. I am sure before the end of business today (yesterday) they will have sorted out the issue. So we should start training tomorrow (today),” one of the players said.
Asked whether they will be available for the ZNA Charities Shield final against Highlanders, the player said chances were high they would take part. “We will cross the bridge when we get there. But chances of us playing are high because the management promised to address the issue. We will see what would have transpired by the end of the week,” he said.
Highlanders edged Chicken Inn 2-1 in another ZNA Charities Shield semifinal at Barbourfields Stadium and the Bulawayo giants are now set to clash with Dynamos in the final on March 25.
The Glamour Boys are owed part of their salaries and winning bonuses from last season.
They spent the whole of last year getting half salaries each month and are owed over $2 500 each in winning bonuses.
Dynamos players get $200 each as a winning bonus and $70 for a draw, in addition to their monthly salaries. The Harare giants won 21 matches and drew seven on their way to a second-place finish last year.
The Harare giants started struggling to pay their players after their premier sponsor, BancABC slashed their sponsorship at the start of last season. The Harare giants reportedly used to receive $700 000 from the company a season to cater for the player’s salaries, a figure that was cut by almost half last year.
Their situation should improve now after NetOne gave them a $350 000 sponsorship for this season, which will go towards payment of player’s salaries and other operational expenses.
