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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Warriors grudgingly agreed to attend yesterday’s morning and afternoon training sessions out of respect for their technical bench led by head coach Callisto Pasuwa after staging a sit-in on Tuesday, demanding their outstanding allowances stretching back to the Comoros game.
The Comoros game was in July but three months down the line, Zifa, which is presently operating without a board, is yet to honour its part of the bargain.
It is the insincerity displayed by the association that forced the players to boycott training on Tuesday. The players had threatened not to train or even travel to Lesotho until Zifa bows to their demands and pays them their allowances in full, including for the upcoming clash against Likuena in Maseru on Sunday.
For the Lesotho game played at Barbourfields Stadium last Sunday, Zifa owes the 18 players that did duty and seven technical staff members a total of $10,000 and a further $600 to the four players dropped on the eve of the game.
The players had also questioned Zifa’s sincerity after the association’s officials literally disappeared soon after the Warriors defeated Lesotho 3-1, without paying them.
Zifa claimed they realised a gross income of $20,537 from that match’s gate takings, saying 6,121 fans paid to enter the stadium. The association claimed this money was used to pay for the Warriors’ accommodation.
However, following some persuasion by Pasuwa, whose term as national team coach has been marred by player boycotts and revolts largely due to Zifa’s dishonesty and ineptitude, the players took to the field at White City Stadium for yesterday’s training sessions.
“We just had to do it for our coach, otherwise we could still have continued with our strike,” said one of the players.
Pasuwa said the situation was not healthy but they had to summon all their negotiating skills to get the boys to train.
“I was honest with them. I told them that by boycotting training, they would in a way be sabotaging me as their coach and not the administration. I’m happy that they listened and here we’re training,” said Pasuwa.
“As coaches, we’re disturbed by such events because as it is, we’ve lost a day of training because of circumstances that have nothing to do with us. This is what happened before our trip to South Africa where we lost 3-0. Lesotho are no pushovers as we all saw at Barbourfields Stadium.
“We told the guys that this is the last hurdle before Rwanda and we can’t let slip such an opportunity,” he said.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said the association was working flat out to meet the players’ demands as well as to fund their travel after it emerged that they were yet to secure air tickets for the trip.
“Presentations have been made to relevant authorities; it’s work in progress and I hope by tomorrow I’ll be able to give you a concrete position,” said Gwesela.
Friday has tentatively been set as the day of the Warriors’ departure for Lesotho.
Meanwhile, two-goal hero Rodrick Mutuma and central defender Teenage Hadebe did not train with the rest of the team yesterday due to injuries.
“Mutuma has a swollen ankle and a groin injury, while Hadebe’s left knee has been troubling him for a while now so we thought they needed a rest,” said Pasuwa.
The Warriors held their afternoon training session at Kumalo Hockey Stadium as Pasuwa wanted them to adapt to an astro turf pitch, which they will play on in Maseru, before selecting his team.
Online Reporter