Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, [email protected]
HOPES that Highlanders can use Sunday’s gate takings against Triangle to ease a deepening salary crisis emerged yesterday as players continued their training boycott over two months’ unpaid wages.
The situation has left the Bulawayo giants in turmoil, with the majority of the first-team squad once again refusing to train while uncertainty over unpaid salaries continues to grow.
For the third straight day, coach Benjani Mwaruwari and his technical team were left to oversee a heavily disrupted training session at White City’s B Arena.
About 11 players took part in light drills, while the rest of the squad stayed away from full participation in protest over outstanding dues.
What unfolded was a fragmented session that fell far short of proper match preparation, with those who trained appearing to focus mainly on personal fitness rather than structured teamwork ahead of Sunday’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash against Triangle.
The scenes underlined the growing instability at Bosso, a club now battling not only for results on the pitch but also for financial survival off it.
Players said patience had worn thin after going two months without salaries, with the situation now affecting morale and concentration within the camp.
“We have tried to be patient for a long time, but it is becoming difficult,” said one player.
“People have families and responsibilities. When salaries are not coming for this long, it affects everything, including how you prepare for matches.”
Another player said the decision to continue reporting for training, despite refusing to take part, was meant as a compromise between professionalism and protest.
“We still respect the club and the badge, that’s why we come to training,” said the player.
“But at the same time, we need the issue to be addressed. It is not sustainable to continue like this.”
Attention has now shifted to Sunday’s home match against Triangle at Barbourfields Stadium, where there are growing suggestions the club could rely on gate takings to settle part of the outstanding salaries.
However, there has been no official confirmation from the club regarding how or when the players and staff will be paid.
Efforts to obtain comment from Highlanders leadership were again unsuccessful, with the club maintaining silence on the unfolding crisis.
That silence has only intensified uncertainty within the camp, with no clear communication on a resolution plan despite the ongoing industrial action.
The financial impasse has also left Mwaruwari in a difficult position, as he attempts to prepare a distracted squad under abnormal circumstances.
Highlanders have already endured a frustrating league campaign, with inconsistency undermining their push for momentum in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Now, the off-field crisis threatens to derail their season further, with preparations for Sunday’s match severely compromised.
The situation is also not new at the club, with players having previously downed tools earlier in the season over similar salary delays.
As things stand, Bosso face a critical weekend both on and off the pitch, with the Triangle fixture now carrying weight far beyond three points.
Fixtures
Saturday
FC Hunters v Ngezi Platinum (Heart Stadium), MWOS v Chicken Inn (Ngoni), FC Platinum v Scottland (Mandava), TelOne v Hardrock (Ascot), Simba Bhora v ZPC Kariba (Wadzanayi), Bulawayo Chiefs v Herentals (Barbourfields), Manica Diamonds v Agama (Sakubva)
Sunday
Highlanders v Triangle (Barbourfields), Dynamos v CAPS United (Rufaro)
Bongani Ndlovu