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Desmond Maringwa

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
BORDER Strikers players have threatened to boycott their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Mutare City Rovers this weekend if they are not paid their outstanding salaries and sign-on fees.

The Beitbridge side’s players reportedly staged a sit-in at their Dulibadzimu training ground on Tuesday and it took the intervention of Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Fuz) president Desmond Maringwa for them to train yesterday, while negotiations continued.

Maringwa said: “I’m in Beitbridge on Fuz business, which coincided with the Border Strikers’ strike. We’ve been in meetings with the management, which seems to understand the players’ concerns, and we hope to make a breakthrough tomorrow (today). As players’ representatives, we want to get a lasting solution to this issue and while we’re waiting for the outcome, the players are training.”

The players claimed club officials have been avoiding them and the strike was meant to force them to address their plight.

The players, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are owed three months’ salaries and sign-on fees.

“Imagine we’ve gone for three months without pay and still have given our best to the club even though we’ve lost our opening three matches. Surely, we can’t continue surviving on handouts because we’ve families to take care of. If our grievances are not addressed, we won’t play,” said one player.

Strikers are second from the bottom with no points together with Rovers, who they face on Saturday at a venue yet to be announced, since the Beitbridge side plays its home games away from Dulibadzimu, which is under construction.

Some players said their spouses were questioning why they continued playing without getting paid.

“Most of us here are family men and we earn our living through football. My wife doesn’t believe me when I tell her that we’re yet to be paid since the season started in March. I’ve to take care of my kids, buy food for the family and pay rent.

“Where does the club think I’m getting the money to survive? At the end of the day, my wife will leave and find someone that can provide for her,” lamented another player.

Strikers’ coach Saul Chaminuka said he was losing control of the dressing room because of the players’ unrest.

“If the players are not paid, it becomes difficult to motivate them. As coaches, we want to control the team and have the guys concentrating on playing football by adapting to the coach’s philosophy, but it’s difficult,” said Chaminuka.

“I think things have been further worsened by the fact that we play our home games away, which I believe has also affected the club’s cash flow,” he said.

Strikers’ chairman Combat Moyo and spokesman Raniel Ndou could not be reached for comment yesterday.