Players plead for the return of football Mkhokheli Dube

Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FOOTBALLERS have pleaded with authorities to seriously consider the resumption of the game saying they have fallen on hard times.

In a video released by the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) yesterday captioned “Please bring back Football”, players said the current freeze had thrown them into abject poverty and forced most of them to turn to other means to make ends meet.

Below are comments made by players in the FUZ video:

Tatenda Mudewe (Manica Diamonds)
Most of us survive on winning bonuses. In Zimbabwe the money we get from football is not enough. We rely on winning bonuses and travelling allowances, but now that we are not playing, we are not getting anything.

Ian Nekati (Chicken Inn)
Things are not okay. We are surviving by selling chickens and at times selling groceries from our cars while hiding from the police. That is not a normal life for a footballer.

Bruce Homora (Black Rhinos)
There is money we get while playing games, but we are not getting it because we are not playing. We cannot get that money while sitting at home.

Partson Jaure (Dynamos)
I would like to say to the football heads, please help us resume football. This is our profession. We are not used to staying at home. Can they please also make sure when we start, we will be safe.

Mkhokheli Dube (Highlanders)
The fact that we do not know when we are going to start means we do not know how hard we have to push to prepare ourselves for training.

Taona Chipondeni (Herentals)
We grew up playing football and that is all we are good at. Since football has been stopped, life is difficult for us. If football returns our fortunes could turn.

Obriel Chirinda (Chicken Inn)
Right now, we are sitting at home doing nothing. We have to hustle to feed our families. It would be good if football returns so that we get back to work.

Tabeth Mutinhiri (Herentals Queens)
Some of us are not business-minded. Our talent is football. We believe football is the only thing that can transform our lives.

Dominic Mukandi (out of contract)
Even if I train after that I need food to replenish my body. At the same time the family is looking up to me to put food on the table. I do not want to lie, my morale is very low. I’m just training because this is work, but things are not well. We are getting to a stage where some of us may end up stealing due to lack of income.

Bukhosi Sibanda (Highlanders)
We are hoping to get back to football. Right now, we are moving backwards and some of us are getting old and chances of playing abroad are getting slimmer by the day. — @innocentskizoe

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