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Fungai Muderere
MONEY buys success they say and in most cases it does. But at times it doesn’t. Ask TelOne players and officials and they will tell you so.
In a league where most players were struggling to survive from the little they were being paid, TelOne players were taking home $1 800 winning bonuses per player, $300 camping allowances and a monthly salary of not less than $1 200.
But this money did not motivate the players to sweat blood and tears in an effort to save TelOne from the unforgiving jaws of relegation.
TelOne, who were among a few teams in the country’s elite football league who enjoyed sound sponsorship, were last Saturday relegated to Zifa Central Division One League after they fell 4-1 at the hands of Chicken Inn in match that was played at Barbourfields Stadium.
In an unsolicited reveal to this reporter at Emagumeni last weekend, a TelOne official who was seated at the VIP section and whose name could not be immediately established “boastfully” showed on his mobile phone how they have pampering and showering their boys with money.
“We need to be in the PSL. We can’t be relegated. Look, the company is doing a lot for these boys. Look at the proof of payments for their individual winning bonuses and camping allowances. They have been each getting $1 800 as winning bonuses and $300 each as camping allowances at places such (name withheld) here in Bulawayo,” said the official oblivious of the fact that he was divulging delicate information to a B-Metro senior sports reporter.
We have it on good authority that Highlanders players were each getting $500 as their winning bonuses while some PSL clubs were paying less than $300 as players’ camping allowances.
The TelOne official added: “In terms of salary, the least paid player gets $1 200 and the bus that we hired from Gweru to Bulawayo for period of two days cost us close $19 000 per day.”
Rahman Gumbo and his assistant Lloyd Mutasa were given the reins in mid-August to help turn the fortunes of the well-resourced side who were on an eleven-match winless streak.
Speaking to the media after his unveiling, the former Warriors coach, who also boasts of vast premier league experience, declared that he would preserve TelOne’s topflight status but that was to no avail.
“It will not be easy, but with the number of games remaining, I believe we can manoeuvre our way past this hurdle,” Gumbo was quoted as saying.
The question is will the sponsors continue pumping large sums of money in the less glorious and elite Zifa Central Region Division One where the brand TelOne will not be as visible as it was in the elite league. Will the downgrade from playing on lush greens of Barbourfields Stadium, Luveve Stadium and Mandava Stadium to at times dusty grounds not see the purse being closed?
Only time will tell.
Online Reporter