Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
KWEKWE UNITED’S battle for survival in the Premier Soccer League has taken a further blow with the club slapped with a US$3 000 fine and a forfeited match against Herentals.
The disciplinary committee’s ruling, handed down yesterday, found the Midlands based side guilty of misconduct under Order 31, as the crisis surrounding the team deepens.
The PSL had found them guilty and fined them US$3 500, of which US$500 was suspended, on condition the club does not break the League’s regulations for the remainder of the season. The fixture has been awarded to Herentals with a 3-0 scoreline, and Kwekwe United has until May 23 to pay the fine and hearing costs.
The decision adds to the growing troubles for the team, which, after their promotion to the PSL this season, has quickly descended into turmoil.
The Goldminers’ dreams of top flight football, the first by a Kwekwe based team since Lancashire Steel in 2009, have been marred by financial instability and internal conflicts.
Owner, Phil Makekera, has revealed that the club is struggling to remain afloat, with several of the 30 players recruited for the season still waiting for their signing on fees.
“This was a self-funded passion project,” Makekera said. “But now, we want partners. We want to turn this into a football business.”
Despite the passion, the club’s woes continue. Last week, head coach Saul Chaminuka and his assistant, Clemence Zuze, were suspended after failing to meet performance targets.
The fallout from the suspension has been bitter, with Makekera accusing the pair of sabotaging the club and taking equipment, leading him to file a police report. Chaminuka has denied the claims and is preparing legal action for unfair dismissal.
On the field, the Goldminers have struggled significantly, sitting at the bottom of the 18 team log with just seven points from eleven matches. Their only win has been overshadowed by heavy defeats, including a 5-0 loss to ZPC Kariba and a 4-0 thrashing by Highlanders. Reports of player boycotts due to unpaid wages have further undermined the team’s performance, and mass player departures looms as the transfer window approaches.
Even with Chaminuka’s departure and the appointment of new CEO Bridgette Mudhosi, to stabilise the administrative side, the team remains in turmoil.
Their 0-0 draw against FC Platinum offered a glimmer of hope, but with mounting financial difficulties and the PSL’s disciplinary actions, the bigger question remains: Can Kwekwe United weather this storm and survive the season?
