Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HIGHLANDERS have been plunged into fresh turmoil after players once again downed tools over outstanding salaries.
This has thrown preparations for their next Castle Lager Premier Soccer League assignment against Triangle at Barbourfields on Sunday into chaos.
Sources inside the club say the playing squad, technical team and office staff have gone for two months without receiving salaries.
Several senior players are said to have not pitched up for yesterday’s training session in protest over unpaid dues. It is not the first time this season that players have taken industrial action over the same issue. This points to a recurring financial challenge within the team environment.
The development has disrupted training schedules and further unsettled morale in a dressing room already battling for consistency on the pitch.
While the club traditionally handle winning bonuses, player salaries are administered through a separate funding arrangement.
However, delays in disbursement have left players increasingly frustrated, culminating in the latest action. According to a source inside the club, the situation has reached a critical level.
“The players have gone for two months without their salaries. This has affected morale and preparation.
“It is also not the first time this season that they have resorted to downing tools over the same issue.
“In some instances, the coach has even had to use his own money to cover gaps just to keep things going,” said the source.
Efforts to get a comment from the club were fruitless with executive chairman Kenneth Mhlophe referring questions to CEO Denzil Mnkandla, who in turn was unreachable for a comment.
The financial impasse has compounded Highlanders’ struggles in a campaign that has lacked momentum both on and off the pitch.
On the field, Bosso have met with mixed fortunes, improving in attack but continuing to struggle defensively, particularly from set pieces, from where they have conceded in their last three matches.
The inconsistency has seen them drop valuable points, with draws becoming a recurring theme in a season that has so far failed to take shape.
Highlanders have managed just one win in their opening 10 league matches, drawing eight, a record that reflects both resilience and frustration in equal measure.
For a club of Highlanders’ stature, the combination of financial instability and uneven performances threatens to derail any hopes of mounting a serious challenge this season.
As things stand, attention now shifts to whether the situation can be stabilised in time to restore focus on the pitch, with unity and financial certainty becoming increasingly central to any recovery efforts.
