Just three days out from one of Zimbabwean football’s biggest-ever fixtures, Highlanders have been thrown into turmoil by unrest within their own ranks. Highlanders were supposed to be locked in on their preparations for Sunday’s high-octane “Battle of Zimbabwe” derby against perennial rivals Dynamos.
Instead, they find themselves dealing with a boycott of training by senior players, angry that they have not been paid their outstanding salaries – and bonuses for winning matches – before the club addressed the issues. News of a boycott erupted over the weekend, with reports that Highlanders’ players refused to train on Friday and Saturday morning as the stand-off between disgruntled players and club management continued.
Salary Delays Sparked Highlanders Training Boycott
Senior Highlanders, according to football experts at Bettingtop10 Zimbabwe, reportedly haven’t been paid their May salaries, and bonuses promised to players for matches won haven’t been forthcoming. This comes despite players reportedly engaging in dialogue with club management for months over the issue.
The failure to pay players reportedly sparked Friday’s boycott, which saw key Highlanders players absent from training and potentially jeopardizing plans for the showdown with Dynamos on Sunday. Players held back from training.
Club sources are reporting that several players stayed away from training this past Friday as a “sign of protest” over salaries and bonuses that have been delayed for several months. Sources added that Highlanders should have been training as normal this weekend, but for players’ failure to attend training on Friday and Saturday morning, leaving the club scrambling to sort matters internally in the build-up to the high-profile fixture.
As Mixednews Reports adds, “Derbies are won and lost on fine margins. With that in mind, the Highlanders’ decision to boycott training is disrespectful to the badge they represent.” Highlanders – Dynamos: Zimbabwe’s “Battle of Zimbabwe”
Dubbed the “Battle of Zimbabwe”, the Highlanders-Dynamos derby is without doubt one of Zimbabwe’s – and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s – most hotly-anticipated fixtures. In recent seasons, the fixture has often been decided by which team is the more composed on the day, with intensity and discipline often deciding who comes out on top.
Sunday’s game promises to be no different. Although the Highlanders were absent from training this past week due to off-field squabbles, fresh questions remain over Bulawayo’s readiness to take on Dynamos.
Coaching Staff Caught in the Middle
The Dynamos’ management will be watching proceedings closely at Highlanders this week, knowing that should the visitors arrive at Barbourfields still divided among themselves, they could well take full advantage on Sunday. Highlanders aren’t the first team to suffer player boycotts this season. Reports on Saturday suggested that Highlanders players have boycotted training en masse before, back in January, over a wage dispute.
Trouble at Highlanders over player salaries isn’t new either, with the players reported last month to have also held meetings with the club over delays in salary payments. Team morale will be another factor Highlanders will have to manage this week. With preparations for Sunday obviously disrupted, there are now question marks over whether the players can regroup in time to beat Dynamos at their own game on Sunday.
Highlanders’ coach Warren Huwiler and his technical team will also have their work cut out this week. Balancing club unrest and player issues with the need to prepare the team for arguably the biggest game of their season so far is a tough ask – especially if some players remain reluctant to train in the build-up to Sunday.
