adminTedious Manyepo Sports Reporter
AILING Premier Soccer League returnees Border Strikers have been hit by a massive player exodus that could cripple their survival chances in the top-flight.
A source close to the goings on at the Beitbridge-based side said the gloomy financial situation at the club is the major cause of the mass departures.
“Players are not being paid at Border Strikers. In the rare cases when they get paid, they are given less than a quarter of their dues and they have clearly lost patience with the club.
“Several players have handed in transfer requests and the club is taking ages to clear them. The situation is looking bad indeed. The team could end up folding if a lasting solution is not found in time,” said the source.
Already, seven key players have left the club during the on-going mid-season transfer window.
Defensive pillar Peter Muzondo, Tendai Mukambi, Adrian Banana, Tatenda Machaya, Raymond Ngwenya as well as former head coach Saul Chaminuka’s sons Nigel and Jay Jay have all moved away.
Although the team’s secretary-general Rodlet Chigwinya declined to shed more light onto the issue, he confirmed all was not well at the club.
“We have been having some problems financially. It is true that players are not being paid on time sometimes.
“Seven players have already been cleared after having handed transfer requests to the club. Of the seven, only Ngwenya (Raymond) was released due to school commitments, but the rest are saying they need to look for greener pastures,”
Chigwinya said the club does not have a secure source of income and the players are paid from the money realised from gate takings.
“We need sound sponsorship deals to survive the situation. We are at least happy that we are now using our home ground Dulibadzimu where fans come in numbers.
“That has eased our financial situation and I think we will be able to retain our most valuable players,” said Chigwinya.
Despite their host of problems, Chigwinya remained confident his team would survive relegation at the end of the season and claimed Border Strikers have lured four seasoned players whom they will sign this window period.
Border Strikers have been struggling with their game and sit on the bottom of the log standings with 6 points from 15 matches.
They have lost 13 times and only tasted victory twice against Harare City and fellow strugglers Tsholotsho.
Former assistant coach Never Malunga has been elevated to head coach.
Online Reporter