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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
CHICKEN Inn players have demanded to know their share of the pickings from the Mdaba Diamonds Cup before their quarter-final match against Caps United at Ascot Stadium in Gweru tomorrow. The Gamecocks are hunting for a second silverware of the season having bagged the season’s opener, the NetOne Charity Shield which had a $60 000 prize money.
According to sources at the Chicken Inn, the players sought audience with the executive during the week with the view of knowing what percentage they are going to take in the event of them winning the mega-rich tournament.
Winners of the Mbada Diamonds Cup will take a home $130 000 prize money and a $110 000 subsidy for their participation in the Caf competition.
Four of the eight teams who will fall by the wayside after the weekend quarter-finals will receive $30 000 each with the losing semi-finalists set to get $45 000 while the tournament’s losing finalists will get $90 000.
“We want to know as players what percentage we are going to share because when we won the NetOne Charity Shield all the money went to the club. We are not being selfish or too demanding but we just want to know how much we will get if we win the tournament. This information will help motivate the players,” said a source.
It seems the sparkling diamond money that goes with lifting the Mbada Diamond Cup might distract Chicken Inn players before their must-win encounter tomorrow.
Chicken Inn players who are sounding disgruntled yesterday had the feel of the match venue as they held their afternoon training session at Ascot, a clear indication that they want to win this tournament.
Chicken Inn’s secretary-general Tawengwa Hara downplayed the players’ disgruntlement saying players were free to discuss any issue with the executive.
Hara said for now they remain focused on winning their game against Caps United.
“Chicken Inn is a professional club and the players know the channels of communication. Actually we have an open door policy with our players and relate well with them. It is misinterpretation that by approaching the executive (about the prize money) the players are unhappy.
This only confirms that the players are serious about winning the tournament and have set their sights on the big prize.
“The chairman (Lifa Ncube) said at the beginning of the week that we are going to Africa and because of the faith that we have in our players, we are confident of winning this trophy.
This is the reason why we do not want to put pressure on our players by offering extra incentives. Once they pass this stage and make it to the semi-finals, then we might sit down as an executive and see what direction to take in terms of incentives,” said Hara.
The Gamecocks have assembled arguably one of the strongest squads in the Premiership and with the calibre of players that they have, they are capable of beating any team.
Should Chicken Inn take the same fighting spirit that they displayed when they clobbered Shabanie Mine 3-0 in the first round, then they are tipped to progress to the next round.
Against Shabanie Mine, Chicken Inn got their goals from midfielders Canaan Nkomo, Kudakwashe Mahachi and veteran Clemence Matawu.
The Bulawayo club’s hopes of winning the Mbada Diamonds Cup have further been boosted by the availability of the league’s leading goalscorer Tendai ‘Fire’ Ndoro who is on loan from Mpumalanga Black Aces.
National team defender Felix Chindungwe will lead from the back with defensive midfielder Danny ‘Deco’ Phiri expected to stabilise the midfield.
Caps United come into the game having ironed out their differences with coach Taurai Mangwiro who quit the club after their 1-3 loss to Shabanie Mine last weekend.
The Green Machine will not be pushovers as they have a very formidable team with experienced players.
Some of the players expected to lead Caps United include goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Rahman Kutsanzira, captain Tapiwa Khumbuyani, striker Dominic Chungwa and Ronald Pfumidzayi.
They also have Arnold Chiveya and Tawanda Nyamandwe who are capable of causing problems for the Gamecocks.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: Caps United v Chicken Inn (Ascot, 1500hrsSS9), Harare City v Hwange (Dulibadzimu)
Sunday: Dynamos v How Mine (Rufaro), Highlanders v Buffaloes (Mucheke, 1500hrsSS9).
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