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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
HARARE giants Dynamos want ZBC to pay them US$30 000 to beam live their Champions League tie against AS Vita at the National Sports Stadium this Saturday. DeMbare will host the side from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg before travelling for the return leg next week.
There were efforts to screen the match live on television but the negotiations appear to have hit a snag as the Harare giants are demanding a flat fee of US$30 000, which ZBC have indicated are not in a position to pay.
Dynamos chairman, Kenny Mubaiwa, confirmed yesterday that they have had meetings with representatives from the national broadcaster but the talks have not been conclusive.
“We have a meeting with ZBC and they said they wanted to broadcast the match and we told them that we want a flat payment of US$30 000 taking into consideration where we are coming from as a club.
“Here in Zimbabwe we survive on what we collect from the gates and if that match is screened on television then many people will not come to the stadium, which means loss of revenue on our side.
“We don’t have sponsorship in the Champions League and next week we have a trip to the DRC, so where will we get the money if that match is shown on TV and we get nothing and people decide to watch it from home?
“ZBC had proposed that they give us airtime and asked us to look for advertisers so that we get our money from the adverts but we are saying we don’t have that capacity as a club.
“They are the ones who are better positioned to do that because they are in the industry and that is why we are saying they give us a flat fee and whatever they will realise from the adverts is none of our business. So we are sticking to our position,” said Mubaiwa.
Efforts to get a comment from ZBC were fruitless but Zifa Marketing Manager Wellington Mugwagwa told The Herald that they were still pursuing avenues to bring Dynamos and the broadcaster to a common understanding.
“We are still trying to work on that and once they agree to come together then they will make a statement.
“As the football mother body it’s our duty to see that the national broadcaster and our football teams come together a deal that benefits all. It has to be a win-win situation,” said Mugwagwa.
Dynamos have maintained the gate charges from the last match when they hosted Mochudi Centre Chiefs with the cheapest ticket for the rest of the ground marked at US$3.
Bays 15-18 will cost US$10 while those supporters who want to watch the match from the VVIP enclosure will have to part with US$20.
“I think US$3 is fair for the rest of the ground if we are to make comparisons with last year when the supporters paid US$5.
“When coming up with the fee, we took into consideration that they need extra bus fare to the stadium and we are appealing to all Zimbabweans to come in large numbers,” said Mubaiwa.
Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa believes goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi will be able to step in and seamlessly fill the void when George Chigova leaves for South Africa’s Supersport United in July this year.
DeMbare also have the youthful Tatenda Mukuruva in their ranks.
Pasuwa yesterday said Chigova’s move was almost a repeat of 2012 when they released Washington Arubi to South Africa’s Pretoria University.
“When (Washington) Arubi left for South Africa we found ourselves in a similar situation and people talked about finding a suitable replacement. But we gave George the chance and look where he is now.
“He got in there and even went a step further to become the country’s number one goalkeeper at the CHAN tournament.
“I think Mukandi will do well and we will have to promote another player from the juniors to beef up the department. I also think our young goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva is now ripe to play first team football and will provide good cover for Mukandi,” said Pasuwa.
Pasuwa wants his side to improve their goal-scoring ratio.
“We have to work on our scoring because I noticed even when we went to Buffaloes for that friendly at the weekend we were shy in front of goal,” said Pasuwa.
“We need the goals and at the same time to guard our area jealously so that we don’t give them the away goal.
In terms of depth, we have a healthy squad but it’s the strike-force that is still lacking because we only have three players in that department.
“We wanted to have much depth in all departments but we have to soldier on with what we have. The good thing is we have midfielders who can also score goals.
“We just need to get into the box in numbers and try as much as we can to make use of the scoring opportunities,” said Pasuwa.
DeMbare continued with fitness training yesterday as they welcomed back to full fitness their captain Murape Murape, Masimba Mambare, Ronald Chitiyo, and Tawanda Muparati who were rested at the weekend to recover from knocks.
However, the trio of Walter Mukanga, Ocean Mushure and Tichaona Mabvura sat out due to injuries and illness.
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