Hwange players boycott training

Sports Reporter
PREMIERSHIP club Hwange players yesterday boycotted training ahead of the league match against Dynamos at Rufaro on Sunday in protest over outstanding salaries stretching for more than a year. The players have threatened not to fulfil the match until they are given part of the payment by the club. Last month The Herald revealed that Chipangano players have gone for more than a year without being paid their salaries and have only received allowances, which are pegged at $10 per home game and $20 for an away match.

But the situation came to a head yesterday when the players refused to train. Sources close to the club yesterday said the management were locked in marathon meetings trying to arrange some money for the team.

Yesterday, club chairman Joe Zulu was unreachable and last month he confirmed that they owe the players. “We are doing the best we can as the mine is not performing well. We haven’t paid salaries for a long time. We are doing the best we can and we will pay.

“We have talked to the guys and in fact something is happening in October and by then we expect to pay 23 percent of what we owe them,” said Zulu. The plight of Hwange players came to the fore when the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe found out that the players were owed salaries.

Yesterday, the worldwide players’ representative organisation, FIFpro, waded into matter when they released an article on their website urging ZIFA to take action.

FIFpro secretary-general Theo van Seggelen said it is about time African soccer gets professional.

“FIFPro fully supports the players’ strike and urges the club, the league and the Zimbabwean Football Association (ZIFA), to take action” said Seggelen.