BOSSO MELTDOWN! . . . Players boycott, then return as chaos rocks Highlanders

Innocent Kurira & Fungai Muderere-Zimpapers Sports Hub

THE storm at Highlanders deepened yesterday as players boycotted training over unpaid signing-on fees, laying bare the financial and emotional strain gripping one of Zimbabwe’s biggest football institutions.

A dramatic stand-off unfolded at the Bosso training ground at Barbourfields Stadium, where players arrived in full training kit but refused to take part in the drills, instead sitting on the pitch in protest.

It took hours of tense discussions before they eventually agreed to return for an afternoon session following a meeting with the club executives. Club chairman Kenneth Mhlophe confirmed the crisis, saying the club leadership was in dialogue with team captains.

“Yes, the players did not train this morning as they are demanding their signing-on fees. We are engaging them and working to resolve the issue,” said Mhlophe.

The strike came barely 48 hours before Bosso’s crucial Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Week 32 fixture against defending champions Simba Bhora at Wadzanayi Stadium in Shamva tomorrow.

It is a match that could define their Premiership survival bid.

At the heart of the stand-off is the handling of businessman and philanthropist Wicknell Chivhayo’s US$1 million sponsorship package for the club.

The second tranche of US$250,000 was disbursed last week, and players say they were promised their signing-on fees from that payment.

But it seems the money has not found its way into the players’ accounts.

“The issue is when the first batch of the money came, they promised us signing-on fees from the second batch, but we just got our winning bonuses.

“Where is the money going to?” one player told Zimpapers Sports Hub.

Another player said the team felt short-changed.

“Yes, they paid us our outstanding winning bonuses using the Chivhayo money last week, but the issue now is signing-on fees. The team is united, and we are not going to give in easily.”

A third player added: “We are professionals and want to focus on football, but it’s difficult when promises keep changing.

“We just want transparency so that everyone knows what is happening with the money.” The players’ salaries, paid through a sponsorship deal with Sakunda Holdings, are reportedly up to date.

But it is on the signing-on fees where the dispute is centred.

Players contend that the fees should have been settled from the latest Chivhayo funds.

Part of the tension stems from confusion over the use of Chivhayo’s sponsorship.

The funds are managed by a curator, Jabulani Nkomo, who also runs the construction company building a wall around the Highlanders Club house.

Members have also expressed concern over the slow progress of that project, with reports indicating that US$109,000 from the first payment was channelled towards construction.

Players now believe that money from the latest disbursement may have once again been diverted for other uses.

The latest flare-up adds to what has been a turbulent week for coach Pieter de Jongh, who was fined by the Premier Soccer League this week for his public comments accusing the league of bias.

Although the matter has since been resolved, the controversy, coupled with inconsistent results and now player unrest, has left morale in the Bosso camp at an all-time low.

De Jongh, speaking after yesterday’s closed-door meeting, insisted that unity was key in the club’s fight for survival.

“We trained and everything was okay. We need three to four points for survival. Every game is a final, and we start on Saturday against Simba. My message to the players is simple, they must play for the badge of Highlanders. Every game is a final, and we must do this together, the executive, players, and fans,” he said.

Highlanders will travel to Shamva knowing that failure to collect points could plunge them deeper into the relegation fight. Bosso are not yet mathematically safe, with nine clubs including Dynamos, CAPS United, Triangle, GreenFuel, Manica Diamonds and Bikita Minerals still hovering around the danger zone.

It’s a sobering situation for one of Zimbabwe’s most successful and passionately supported teams, whose off-field troubles have mirrored their inconsistent form on it.

The latest boycott underscores a growing trend of financial turbulence and uncertainty in the local game, even among the country’s storied clubs.

It comes after their fellow giants and rivals Dynamos were rocked by a player strike ahead of last Sunday’s Chibuku semi-final showdown with Bosso at Rufaro.

WEEK 32 FIXTURES

Tomorrow: TelOne v GreenFuel (Ascot), MWOS v Triangle (Ngoni), Chicken Inn v CAPS United (Luveve), Manica Diamonds v Ngezi Platinum (Sakubva), Simba Bhora v Highlanders (Wadzanayi), Herentals v Yadah (Rufaro), ZPC Kariba v FC Platinum (Nyamhunga)

Sunday: Kwekwe United v Scottland (Ascot), Dynamos v Bikita Minerals (Rufaro)