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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE boardroom problems rocking Caps United owned by Premier Soccer League president Twine Phiri were laid bare yesterday after players refused to fulfil their league encounter against How Mine at Luveve Stadium.A week ago, as a hint that all wasn’t well at the club, their sponsors — Zing — announced that they were parting ways with the Harare giants after failing to agree on terms.

Joe Makuvire — Caps United chief executive officer — hit back at the South African company whom he accused of plotting a smooth but hostile takeover of the former champions. The sponsors and the club are said to have failed to pay players’ March salaries as well as some bonuses leading to an embarrassing standoff yesterday.

The How Mine-Caps United match was supposed to be beamed live on pay-per-view television station — SuperSport.  No doubt, failure to fulfil the encounter by Caps United was a bad advertisement for Zimbabwean football.

About 1,000 fans lost their stadium entry fees after the match commissioner Michael Phiri called off the game at 3:55PM. Phiri reached the decision after consulting referee Philani Ncube and assistants Brighton Nyika and Emmanuel Mugwagwa.

A sizeable number of Caps United fans who had been tipped that their team wasn’t coming to the venue were seen roaming outside the stadium, saying they would only pay once they see the team bus coming in.

The Caps United squad arrived in Bulawayo on Wednesday afternoon for their much publicised match, but they woke up demanding their dues.

They informed their officials that they were not going to fulfil the fixture if the club doesn’t pay their salaries. True to their threats, they boycotted the game.

They reached the decision of not fulfilling the tie after lunch when they found that there were no deposits into their accounts — contrary to promises that were allegedly made by their bosses.

A player who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were each given $100 by Bulawayo based Caps United’s board member Alex Munyaka and their national supporters’ chairman Blessed Gumbo, on Wednesday evening who had sourced funds.

The players then used part of the money they received from the supporters to hire a minibus to ferry them back to Harare yesterday afternoon but their vehicle was blocked at Mahatshula suburb — along Harare road — by their supporters.

Fearing that the supporters could assault them, the players drove their hired bus to Bulawayo Central Police Station where they stayed for about two hours.

Not even the Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda could persuade the players to fulfil the tie and sort out their issues with the club later.  According to inside sources, the players said they could not offer their services to supporters who wanted to beat them.

Police are said to have offered an escort for the team to the stadium but the players shot down the proposal.

After seeing that there was no breakthrough, the players boarded their hired minibus and hit the road back to the capital.

Only three players — striker Roderick Mutuma, goalkeeper Victor Twaliki and Leonard Tsipa — boarded the Caps United team bus. It is said that the veterans were for the idea of playing How Mine.

How Mine coach Luke Masomere took a swipe at Caps United officials whom he accused of tarnishing the image football.

“Really, this is disappointing and it is painting our football with a dirty brush. Certainly this destroys football. Never in my life have I seen something like this.
“It shows lots of disorganisation when a top team fails to fulfil its game. I hope this is the last time that such a situation happens in our beautiful game,” said Masomere.

How Mine are very happy that their players have reserved their energy for Sunday’s tie with Flame Lily in Harare.

However, Masomere whose side stands to bag three points on a 3-0 scoreline, believes that they could have won by a bigger margin yesterday.

“Looking at the way we had prepared, I’m convinced that were going to beat them 6-0 but now we will only be awarded three goals.  I think this is not fair at all but we just have to go and prepare for the Flame Lily match which we will face with healthy bodies,” he said.

PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they would issue a statement this  morning.