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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
CAPS United senior players snubbed training for the third day running yesterday.
They are protesting over their unpaid salary dues over the past two months.
But they have committed to fulfil their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Highlanders at Barbourfields on Sunday.
Makepekepe regular players have been refusing to attend training, citing incapacitation.
And their match against Bosso had been thrown into doubt.
Only junior players, numbering just seven, have been attending training.
But club president Farai Jere has engaged the players through captain Phineas Bamusi and his deputy Devon Chafa to map the way forward.
The pair were shown documents explaining why the salaries had been delayed and they have since explained the situation to their colleagues.
And indications yesterday were that the players will train today before they make the trip to Bulawayo tomorrow.
Coach Lloyd Chitembwe, who has received plaudits for keeping the team together despite teething problems, yesterday painted a positive picture.
He said his players are well aware of the situation and they have committed to report for training today ahead of the match against Bosso.
“We are expecting everyone at training tomorrow (today). The players are well aware of the current situation obtaining,” said Chitembwe.
“Tomorrow (today), we are having a full training session ahead of the match against Highlanders.
“It’s a match that we know we have to win. It doesn’t really matter that we have not been training regularly but this is a match we know is very big.
“We are fighting to find a way up the table.
“We should put in the fight, the spirit and the commitment should be up there.
“This is a match we should fight tooth and nail, put our heads on the wall and try to win.
“We are very much determined to get the result.
“We have a very good group of players who know how to compete at this level. Highlanders is a big team and so we are. Expect a good match full of top competition.
“We are not happy with the position we find ourselves in right now. We have to grind the results and get to move upwards.
“Everyone at the team know their responsibility and we are happy.”
CAPS United have spent the better part of this season making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
The club has struggled financially with players almost always staging sit-ins.
In June, the club even expelled some of their best players over what they said was mutinous behaviour.
Defender Dennis Dauda, goalkeeper Simba Chinani and striker Clive Augusto were fired as the club sought to bring back normalcy after a damaging strike.
Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo and Devon Chafa were also dismissed before they were pardoned.
But the former refused the pardon before joining Northern Region Division One Soccer League leaders Simba Bhora.
And three months after taking those measures, Makepekepe find themselves in the same situation.
The club is failing to attract sponsorship and even the appointment of Charlie Jones as the chief executive has failed to improve things, at least for now.
Online Reporter