admin
Grace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER champions CAPS United are racing against time to stop the player exodus that is likely to leave their side severely handicapped when Premiership football resume next month.
Makepekepe are facing some financial challenges and many players are seeking a move away from the 2016 league champions.
The Harare giants are yet to resume training and are hoping to start training early next week after resolving player remuneration as well as contracts.
The club has been hit by the departure of key players that include Brandon Mpofu, Tafadzwa Jaravani, Webster Tafa, Carlos Mavhurume, John Zhuwawu and Tinashe Balakasi.
A host of other players, that include winger Leeroy Mavhunga, Munyaradzi Kunyarimwe, Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, Tellmore Pio, Tatenda Tumba, Ronald Chitiyo and Innocent Mucheneka, also want a move away from Makepekepe.
But the club is still negotiating contracts with other senior players such as Chitiyo.
The club’s directors are running around to secure money for players’ outstanding dues as well as for fresh contracts. Without a sponsorship deal, the club has been struggling to meet its huge bill.
However, Makepekepe are confident that they will have put their house in order by the time the league resumes on February 12. The league went on a break in December, paving way for the African Cup of Nations finals currently underway in Cameroon.
And clubs have used the opportunity to beef-up their squads during the first transfer window.
The league fathers have tentatively set Friday January 28 as the deadline for clubs to complete player registration forms and submit them to the PSL so that fresh licences are processed before the games kick-off in three weeks’ time.
A number of clubs have resumed training with Ngezi Platinum starting their training yesterday. Harare City have been training for the past two weeks and have just been joined by their new gaffer Taurai Mangwiro, who was at the African Cup of Nations with the national team.
Highlanders and Black Rhinos have also stepped up their preparations as clubs brace for an unusual league that began late last year due to Covid-19 complications.
PSL chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, in a statement to clubs, confirmed the resumption date as well as other housekeeping issues.
“Clubs are required to register all their players and technical officials in order to obtain 2022 licences. The 2021 players and technical officials’ licenses expired on 31 December. The player registration period opened on 8 January 2022 and shall close on 31 March 2022.
“The club registration forms must be completed and submitted to our office not later than Friday 28 January 2022.
“No friendly/practice matches shall be played without clearance from our office. Requests for the said matches must be submitted at least 72 hours before the date of the match.
“Clubs are required to submit stadium lease agreements to our offices not later than 31 January 2022.
“The invoices for the annual subscription fees will be sent to you in due course,” wrote Ndebele to the PSL clubs.
As the top-flight clubs prepare for resumption on February 12, the teams are racing to finalise on registering their players with the PSL.
Yesterday, a CAPS United official said although they lost a couple of players, they are working on replacing some of them.
“We are behind but we are trying by all means to meet deadlines. The coach has identified players that he wants in the squad, and it is being worked on. We are looking forward to starting training early next week after we have finished our engagements with the players and sorting the monetary issues,” he said.
The club, which has struggled to secure a sponsorship partner, has been struggling to cater for their players’ welfare, resulting in a number of them seeking greener pastures.
Online Reporter