Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
CHAOS reigned in the Highlanders camp yesterday after players sat out their scheduled morning training session at Barbourfields Stadium, before later regrouping at the same venue to meet the executive and resume training in the afternoon.
The players boycotted the session, demanding payment of their outstanding signing-on fees. They had arrived in full training gear but sat on the pitch in protest, refusing to take part in drills.
When the Zimpapers Sports Hub news crew arrived at the venue, the players were still inside the stadium, but access was denied.
In the morning yesterday, club chairman Kenneth Mhlophe confirmed the standoff, saying a meeting was being arranged between the leadership and the team captains to resolve the issue.
After discussions between the captains and the club leadership, the players agreed to return to training once a meeting with the executive had been set.
However, players who spoke to Zimpapers Sports Hub in the morning stand-off made it clear that they expected payment following last week’s US$250,000 windfall from Wicknell Chivayo.
In June, philanthropist Wicknell Chivayo pledged US$1 million to the club of which US$250 000 was dispersed in July.
Hopes were high that the money would help the club clear signing on fees and at a press conference to confirm the first disbursement, captain Ariel Sibanda confirmed that outstanding allowances and bonuses had been cleared.
There was also another US$50 000 set aside for players’ acquisitions.
Although the team received their overdue winning bonuses before the game against Dynamos last week, the players believe part of the funds should have covered signing-on fees as well.
The players have no issues regarding salaries, which are paid by Sakunda Holdings.
However, the confusion appears to have stemmed from the handling of the Chivayo sponsorship funds, which are run by a curator Jabulani Nkomo, who runs a construction company tasked with erecting a wall around the Highlanders Clubhouse.
Members and community have been disturbed with the lack of progress despite US$109 000 having been taken from the first tranche of the US$250 000 paid in July.
Players say they were promised their signing-on fees would be paid from the second batch of funds, which arrived last week. Instead, the club again used the money to settle outstanding winning bonuses.
One player said: “The issue is when the first batch of the money came, they promised us signing-on fees from the second batch, but we just got our winning bonuses. Where is the money going to?”
Another player added: “Yes, they paid us our outstanding winning bonuses using the Chivayo money last week, but the issue now is signing-on fees. The team is united, and we are not going to give in easily. As it stands, the boys are threatening not to travel.”
A third player, speaking on condition of anonymity, said morale in the camp had been affected by the uncertainty. “We are professionals, and we want to focus on football, but it’s difficult when promises keep changing. We just want transparency so that everyone knows what is happening with the money.”
Yesterday was far from a normal day at Highlanders, as the club also abandoned its traditional Thursday pre-match press conference. It was later replaced by an internal media session, during which head coach Pieter de Jongh insisted all was well in the Bosso camp.
De Jongh said: “We trained and everything was okay. We need three to four points for survival. Every game is a final, and we start on Saturday against Simba. My message to the players is very simple, they must play for the badge of Highlanders. Every game is a final, and we must do this together. I like the working spirit, and we have to bring the three or four points we need together the executive, players and fans.”
Sources said what has incensed players is that De Jongh has clearly declared that they will be a clear-out exercise at the end of the year. They fear once they leave the club their dues will not be a priority to management.
Highlanders are scheduled to face Simba Bhora at Wadzanayi Stadium tomorrow, with the team expected to travel for the fixture today.
