Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FACED with a possible player exodus ahead of the Premiership mid-season transfer window, Kwekwe United have moved swiftly and paid part of the signing-on fees, salaries and bonuses they owed players.
Kwekwe had not yet settled the signing-on fees for most players acquired at the beginning of the year.
Zimpapers Sports Hub can reveal that some of the players are planning to leave the league newboys while others are already out after pushing for their clearances recently.
Goalkeeper Lenon Gonese was handed a clearance after pushing for an exit last month.
Allan Gahadzikwa and Dennis Dauda have stopped training with the team as they are also on their way out.
“It is not easy to go for months without a salary or bonuses so in as much as we love football, when the situation is like this, you have to think of yourself first,” said one of the players.
“Imagine struggling to place food on the table yet you are working everyday and as senior players, most of the young players expect you to fight for them.
“We tried to speak up and it is good that eventually they got something, unfortunately for us, we had already been labelled enemies so we did not get anything.”
To stop the player exodus, the club dug into its benefactors and paid out at least US$15,000 to partly settle the debt.
A relieved Phil Makekera, Kwekwe United owner, said his management was working round the clock to ensure that the welfare of the players is on point.
“The PSL journey has not been very easy but I am happy that we have come this far and we are still pushing for everything to fall into place,” said Makekera.
“Soon everything will be fine, some doors have been knocked while more are still to be and we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Following Kwekwe’s 0-1 defeat to Scottland at Rufaro at the weekend, head coach Paul Chimalizeni revealed his wish to bolster the squad during the midseason transfer window.
“The quality of players that I have are inexperienced, and I am happy with the character they showed against Scottland.
“However, we are not okay, we are looking to go shopping for more players in the mid-season.
They host Triangle at Bata, tomorrow.
