CRACKS have emerged in the Dynamos camp over Christian Ntouba Epoupa (pictured) with the technical team blasting the club leadership for dragging their feet on paying the striker his dues.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
Assistant coach Biggie Zuze, who is in charge of the team in the absence of head coach Lloyd Mutasa who is away in Zambia with the national team, expressed his displeasure with the way the club hierarchy was handling the Cameroonian’s issue.
He said they desperately needed Ntouba in the team.
“Epoupa is our top goalscorer. We need him in the team like yesterday. We are not happy with the way the leadership is handling the issue. We don’t know why they keep dragging on this issue. We lost to Chicken Inn but we created plenty of opportunities. We are not scoring and we need him. They (leadership) were there in Bulawayo and they saw it. We just hope they finalise the issue,” said Zuze.
Dynamos owe Ntouba $16 000, which includes part of his signing-on fees and unpaid allowances from last season.
The Harare giants were defeated by Chicken Inn in the opening match of the season in Bulawayo last weekend.
Although he has been training with the team, he refused to travel with the team last week and is unlikely to feature for the team this weekend if Dynamos does not move fast to resolve the matter.
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Ntouba’s manager Gilbert Sengwe has been trying to negotiate with Dynamos so that they can find an amicable solution, but as of Wednesday, it appeared the two parties were worlds apart.
The Glamour Boys who had initially said they had secured $6 500, offered to pay $5 000 instead, which was rejected by Sengwe, who accused the club of not being sincere.
Dynamos had promised to pay part of the money before the start of the season. However, that did not happen as they claimed their coffers were dry.
The current impasse is bad news to the technical team who are also without second striker Tawanda Macheke this weekend through injury.
Macheke, who led the line against Chicken Inn is battling an ankle problem and did not take part in the team’s training session yesterday.
The team is also facing a goalkeeping crisis with their first and second choice goalkeepers Tonderai Mateyaunga and Blessing Mwandimutsira also out with injuries.
“Our preparations are going on very well but we have a few challenges. We have Tawanda Macheke who has an ankle injury. We also have two of our goalkeepers Tonderai Mateyaunga and Blessing Mwandimutsira who are injured and as you can see we have rested them. We will have a look at them tomorrow but we hope they will recover for the game against Shabanie,” Zuze said.
“The good thing is that we are creating chances and all we need is to work on finishing. We are also not happy with our defending. We don’t expect to concede such a soft goal and this is something we have been working on. Against Shabanie it should be different,” said Zuze.
Weekend fixtures
Tomorrow: Mutare City v Chapungu 1pm (NSS), Black Rhinos v ZPC Kariba (NSS), Harare City v Bulawayo City (Rufaro), FC Platinum v Yadah (Mandava), Nichrut v Chicken Inn (Ascot).
Sunday: Herentals v Highlanders (NSS), Triangle v Ngezi (Gibbo), Dynamos v Shabanie (Rufaro), Bulawayo Chiefs v Caps United (Luveve).
