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HERENTALS will declare a LOSS for their 2022 Chibuku Super Cup campaign despite a Cinderella adventure which saw them make their maiden appearance in the grand final.
The complexity of their situation highlights the serious challenges which Premiership clubs are dealing with, where high operational costs, coupled with other costs loaded for the payment of match officials and compliance officers, have complicated their dire situation.
The current model being used by the PSL means that the more success a club enjoys, especially in the prime knockout tournaments like the Chibuku Super Cup, the more costs it acquires in terms of meeting the bills of the match officials and compliance officers.
There are many members of the PSL family who feel these administrative costs should be footed by the league, from its chunk of fees set aside for administration, as a token of helping the clubs get as much revenue as possible from such tournaments like the Chibuku Super Cup. “There has to be an incentive for doing well, to try and encourage these clubs, especially the smaller ones, to dream big,” said one PSL club official, who chose anonymity.
“The model should be such that the more a club succeeds in these tournaments, the less the costs it has to bear because you should understand that a deeper run in the competition comes with more costs in terms of preparations, incentives and bonuses for the players, transport and so forth.
“Let those who fail at the beginning bear the brunt of failure rather than a situation where those who succeed have to fear the cost of their success.
“That is why competitions like the MTN8 were born in South Africa, where the winner virtually takes it all, in terms of prize money, as a way to encourage, and reward, the culture of success in football.”
Herentals lost to Bulawayo Chiefs 0-1 in the Chibuku Super Cup final at Barbourfields.
The Students’ share of the prize money was US$50 000, while the Ninjas’ share was US$75 000, with the money being paid in local currency at the prevailing bank rate.
This means that Herentals’ share was $32 600 000 at the time their payment was processed.
However, the Students lost about 20 percent of their prize money (US$9 486) to a number of costs, including fines and fees for referees and compliance officers, by the time all the calculations had been completed.
“By any measure of accounting, losing a fifth of the share of the prize money is significant and calls for a review of this arrangement which then piles costs like payment for refs and compliance officers, in such cup competitions, on the clubs themselves,” said the official.
“Given this is our main knockout tournament, it has to be different and attractive and we should look into that going into the future.”
Herentals were paid US$40 513,315 ($26 389 552,82) from the US$50 000 (32 600) share of their prize money.
The PSL deducted US$7 798,63 in subscription fees, which the league was owed by the club. The Chibuku Super Cup fines gobbled US$2 750, the Students were also deducted US$457,13 for their 50 percent share of the cost of the ZRP at the final.
Another US$1 810 went to compliance officers for the matches against Harare City, Yadah, Chicken Inn, Whawha, ZPC Kariba, Triangle, Manica Diamonds and Tenax.
A further US$1 690 was deducted for the payment of match officials for the matches against Yadah, Chicken Inn, Dynamos and Bulawayo Chiefs.
Further deductions were made for the compliance officers for the matches against Highlanders, Tenax, Black Rhinos, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Harare City, Yadah, Bulawayo City, Manica Diamonds, CAPS United, FC Platinum, Bulawayo Chiefs and ZPC Kariba.
Private security against Bosso and Tenax also came with its costs.
The semi-final battle against FC Platinum at Mandava also saw Herentals paying US$205 towards private security costs.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter