Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS the league wrapped up its fixtures, Kwekwe United slipped out of the top-flight league with the kind of season that drains a club long before the final whistle.
Their relegation was expected.
What has followed has been harder to stomach.
The players and coaches who fought through a bruising campaign are staring at an uncertain future with no salaries, no relief in sight and a Christmas that looks anything but festive.
“We have not been paid since October, the club officials keep telling us they don’t have the money and we are now stuck,” said one player.
An average player earns about US$300 a month.
That places the current debt at close to US$900 per player.
Some technical team members earn around US$800 and have, at least, US$2,400 outstanding.
CEO Bridgette Mudhosi did not shy away from the crisis.
She acknowledged that the burden has grown heavier with each passing month.
“Yes, it’s true we owe two-and-half months salaries.
“As you know, we were surviving on donations from well-wishers because the club itself doesn’t have money but as and when we received something we would pay the players and make sure they go to matches.
“Unfortunately, we have not received any help from well-wishers in the last three months that’s why we have a backlog.”
Their troubles have been visible from the start of the season.
Patron Phil Makekera could not keep the club afloat and the strain showed on the pitch.
Kwekwe United finished bottom with ten points, the lowest tally in the PSL since the 18-team era began.
They conceded seventy-nine goals, also the worst defensive record in that period. Their lone win in 34 outings leaves them with a win rate sitting at 2.9 percent.
Kwekwe United’s fall was not just about results on the table.
It was a story of a club running on fumes while trying to keep its head above water. The season may be over, but the hardship that comes with it lingers.
