Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze, Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS Chicken Inn prepares for the mid-season transfer window, a wave of internal tensions threatens to derail efforts to turn around what’s been a difficult campaign. The club sits 14th on the log, with just 17 points from 17 games, and while reinforcements were expected to arrive in July, simmering disputes with players over contracts and communication are now taking centre stage.
At the heart of the unrest are a few veteran players who feel side lined, misunderstood, and in some cases, financially abandoned. Chief among them is goalkeeper Issah Ali, whose injury last season has since spiralled into a complex contractual standoff.
Ali, who signed a two year deal in 2023, hasn’t featured for the team since sustaining a leg injury in September.
While initially part of the squad rotation, he has since been deregistered, and according to sources close to the player, he hasn’t received his salary since January.
However, club Secretary-General Tavengwa Hara insists the club has not acted in bad faith.
“We negotiated everything with him, even the salary and bonuses,” Hara explained. “But the situation became complicated because he kept changing managers. One day we reach an agreement, the next day there’s a new representative with a different stance.”
Hara said the club had even offered Ali a three month settlement earlier this year, which the player turned down, requesting more time to assess his recovery. “He refused the offer, saying he first wanted to see how his leg was healing. It’s unfortunate because this is now the only outstanding issue,” Hara said.
The confusion surrounding Ali’s status has sparked tension, but the club insists it is open to dialogue. “We told him to come back to us when he knows what exactly he wants. The door has never been closed,” Hara added.
Another name that’s emerged is long serving goalkeeper Pride Zendera, who also found himself left out of the club’s plans for this season. According to Hara, Chicken Inn proposed alternative roles within the club for Zendera, from coaching to administration, but he opted to explore opportunities elsewhere.
“We have been with Pride since 2011. He’s a senior player, but he has never quite commanded a first-team spot,” said Hara. “We can’t keep players on our books who aren’t playing, especially when we’re limited to a 30-man squad. We settled everything with him amicably.”
A similar path was offered to former captain Danny “Deco” Phiri, who briefly rejoined the club before opting to continue playing elsewhere. “We told him, ‘Come and help coach our juniors or support the technical team.’ But he said he still wanted to play. So he went to Gwanda Pirates. We respect that,” Hara explained.
Despite growing concerns from some players who feel they were left in the dark during these transitions, Hara maintains that the club has acted within reason.
“We’ve been trying to tell the players: be clear about your claims. We can’t be forced to keep players who are no longer delivering or aren’t registered to play,” he said.
Still, the timing of these off field challenges is far from ideal. With the transfer window opening next week, Chicken Inn was expected to make several additions, but plans have now shifted.
“We got a wish list from the coaches. We might bring in one or two players and offload the same number,” Hara revealed. “The truth is, this is the mid-season window, we can only de-register and register five players. Wholesale changes will have to wait until the end of the season.”
Hara acknowledged the need to stabilise the dressing room while staying competitive on the field. “We’re doing what we can within the rules. It’s not an easy situation, but we’ll make the right decisions for the club.”
As Chicken Inn looks to claw their way out of the lower half of the table, how they manage this period, both with the current squad and in their recruitment strategy, could determine the trajectory of the remainder of their season. And perhaps, the perception of how they treat those who wore the badge with pride.
