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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
ZPC Hwange FC players, unpaid for six months, put aside their monetary problems to dent Technosphere FC’s Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League championship hopes hitting them 1-0 in a Hwange derby.The electricity generators got the solitary goal from Admire Banda to move a place up the table to position five with 35 points from 20 games and trail leaders Black Boots by four points.

Despite winning against title contenders, ZPC Hwange players were cheerless knowing that there is no incentive for their victory.
They claim that the executive threatened to fire anyone who asked his dues.

“Since the beginning of the season we have never been paid. The only monies that we received were $1,000 signing on fees at the beginning of the season and they were supposed to pay each of us a salary of $250 and $70 as winning bonuses. People are afraid of asking for the dues because the executive told us that they will fire whoever brings up the subject about money. Already there are some guys that were forced out because of outstanding allowances,” said a player.

Former Railstars, Chicken Inn and Tripple B utility player Julius Daudi, ex-Bantu Rovers, Chicken Inn and Tripple B’s Dion Homela and Norman Njelele formerly with Hwange and Motor Action are some of the players that left ZPC Hwange in a huff because of the salary standstill.

Daudi is now in Namibia with Homela said to be turning out for one of the Zifa Northern Region Divison One Soccer league clubs. It could not be ascertained where Njelele is plying his trade.

“We are surviving on $10 camping allowances that are given to the squad of 18 which would have made it for the game. Look, we have families to feed and rentals back home to pay but they tell us that since they are providing accommodation here at Ingagula there is nothing that we can get. It’s sad because we do our work yet we are not paid. Right now we are in the championship race but you get the feeling that maybe they don’t want us to win the title and that is why they are treating us like this. We are only playing to market ourselves to other clubs,” said another disgruntled player.

Efforts to get comment from ZPC Hwange FC executive proved fruitless as the chairman only identified as Shumba was said to be in a meeting and someone was answering his mobile phone.

“Shumba is in a meeting, you may leave your number so that when he is done he calls you back,” said a man who identified himself as Chingwe on Shumba’s mobile phone.

Black Boots were held to a goalless draw by Plumtree Chiefs.

It seems it was a weekend of draws for title chasing teams as second on the table Ntabazinduna were held to a goalless draw by Elephants FC.

Results

Saturday: Quelaton 1-1 Tsholotsho FC, Ntabazinduna 0-0 Elephants FC, Plumtree Chiefs 0-0 Black Boots, Technosphere 0-1 ZPC Hwange, Hwange Juniors 5-2 Mpumalanga, Trumus 0-0 Old Nic Mine, New West 3-0 Portland Cement