Online Reporter
Solomon Bhumu
Sports Reporter
PLAYERS and parents affiliated with Mutare City Queens Football Club have expressed serious concern over unpaid salaries and allowances owed to the team’s players, many of whom are teenage girls still in school.
The club, which is owned by Mutare City Council, competed in the Premier Soccer League during the 2024 season, but has since been relegated to the Eastern Region Division One for the 2025 campaign.
Despite signing contracts that promised monthly salaries, players say they were later informed they would be paid per game instead.
In an interview with The Post Sport, one player — who requested anonymity, revealed that the team played approximately 30 matches in 2024, but only 16 were compensated. The remaining 14 matches, along with winning, drawing bonuses and transport allowances, remain unpaid.
“We signed contracts that clearly stated we would receive monthly salaries. But midway through the season, we were told payments would be made per game. Even then, not all games were paid for. Since the signing of the 2025 contracts, no salaries have been paid to date,” she said.
The situation has reportedly led to an exodus of players, with many leaving for other clubs.
Only a few remained, and the team has since recruited new players to fill the gaps.
Parents have also voiced their frustration, citing the risks their children face travelling long distances for matches without financial remuneration.
They fear for their safety, pointing out the potential for injuries or accidents while commuting.
Concerns of gender inequality have also surfaced.
The player alleged that Mutare City Rovers, the male counterpart team, received their full payments for the previous season and partial payments for the current one.
She suggested that the boys’ ability to threaten match boycotts may have influenced their compensation, unlike the girls’ team.
“They know the boys can sabotage games if they are not paid, but they take advantage of us because the younger girls since last season range from as young as Grade Seven to Form Four for the school going,” she said.
Mutare City Council Town Clerk, Blessing Chafesuka said he was not aware of any unpaid dues, and added that no one had brought the issue to his attention.
