BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA CAPS United are set to pardon skipper Ronald Chitiyo, Rodwell Chinyengetere and Devon Chafa amid reports that the trio has been exonerated from influencing other players to stage a boycott of their Castle Lager Premier League match against Cranborne Bullets on Sunday.
The players were demanding outstanding winning bonuses and only agreed to fulfil the fixture after part of the money was paid.
Caps United president Farai Jere on Monday wielded the axe on six senior players including Chitiyo, goalkeeper Simba Chinani, defender Dennis Dauda, Chafa, strikers Chinyengetere and Clive Augusto, but after initial investigations, only three have been released.
Chinani, Dauda and striker Augusto have since been handed their dismissal letters, with the other three set to escape with warnings.
Club administrator Morton Dodzo confirmed that three players had been dismissed.
“So far three players Chinani, Dauda and Augusto have been handed their dismissal letters while investigations continue into the conduct of the others. What happened on Sunday before the match against Cranborne Bullets is regrettable and the club would like to assure Zifa, PSL, sponsors, our supporters and all the football stakeholders that this incident will never be repeated again. In the meantime, we will allow due process to be followed,” he said.
The sacked players are alleged to have incited others to boycott their match against Cranborne Bullets over outstanding bonuses for the two matches they won in their last five.
The strike caused a 45-minute delay to the start of the match — a bad advertisement for the topflight league. And Jere, who is also PSL chairperson accused the players of bringing the game of football into disrepute.
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This followed reports that the players, who arrived in batches, went straight to the dressing room where Chinani acted as the coach by selecting the team to play on the day. It is alleged that he also took part in the substitution of players — a clear disrespect for the coach.
Predictably, the Harare football giants lost the match 2-0 courtesy of Brain Muzondiwa who scored a brace.
It was Caps United’s second defeat on the bounce. Disappointingly, it was their first home defeat of the campaign.
The defeat left them a massive 12 points behind log leaders Dynamos and given that their next assignment is against defending champions FC Platinum in Zvishavane, they need to regroup quickly and put behind them the circumstances that led to this embarrassing episode.
Fixtures
Friday: Cranborne Bullets v Yadah (Sakubva)
Saturday: Harare City v Manica Diamonds, (National Sports Stadium), Chicken Inn v Herentals (Luveve), ZPC Kariba v WhaWha (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v Caps United (Mandava), Black Rhinos v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Sakubva)
Sunday: Tenax v Triangle (Sakubva), Dynamos v Bulawayo City (National Sports Stadium), Bulawayo Chiefs v Highlanders (Barbourfields)
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