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PETER DUBE

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS chairman Peter Dube yesterday insisted that his club was not in a position to participate in tomorrow’s planned 2015 Zifa Unity Cup despite the fact that Zifa has announced that the match between Bosso and Dynamos is on. Dube said the club has already released their players for the Christmas break but Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said communication regarding the match had been sent to the two clubs through the Premier Soccer League.

Zifa announced the staging of the hurriedly arranged Unity Cup pitting Bosso and DeMbare at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow, a day after the Bulawayo giants had snubbed the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Cup citing similar reasons.

Dube said they released their players for the holidays soon after last week’s Easycall Cup triumph over league champions Chicken Inn and some are already in South Africa.

Interim coach Amini Soma-Phiri is also in South Africa where he will be attached to First Division side Moroka Swallows for a few days at the invitation of former Warriors’ coach Ian Gorowa.

Dube said they can’t be blamed for not fulfilling tomorrow’s fixture as Zifa had notified them about it last Thursday evening when most of their players had already left the country.

“People mustn’t get wrong ideas that Highlanders is snubbing the Unity Cup. We are unable to take part because our players are already on leave. These boys had a rough season and they deserve a break.

“They know that we will resume training in January. We can’t risk the few who are around the city to play in a high-tempo match without training because they might pick up injuries,” said Dube.

“Besides, we can’t shoulder the blame because if we had been told in time that we will participate in the Unity Cup, which is significant in the history of Zimbabwe, we wouldn’t have released our players. As Highlanders, we take honour in participating in such national events and surely we can’t be blamed for this hiccup because Zifa only notified us about the Unity Cup on Thursday,” he said.

The Bosso boss said the coordination of the tournament was highly disorganised as even the letter from Zifa about the event didn’t have the rules or contracts for the teams.

Issues relating to players’ allowances, pre-match costs, which include training and camping, were not clarified, said Dube.

“It’s shocking that you get to hear about the prize money and other things through the media. We know nothing and up to Wednesday there were negotiations about the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Cup, but because the organisers brought up the issue late, we couldn’t take part for the same reasons that our players are on holiday. In future, organisers of such events must plan their things and notify us in time,” Dube said.