Hefty bonuses for Scottland FC

Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA Northern Region Division One outfit Scottland FC players are set for the highest bonuses ever paid by a Zimbabwe soccer team should they win promotion into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

This has drawn mixed feelings from the soccer family of Zimbabwe.

Maverick, Wicknell Chivayo on Friday promised second-placed Scottland US$1 million if they are promoted.

Chivayo who the previous week donated five Aqua vehicles to as many players who were outstanding in the team’s victory as they kept leaders MWOS in hot pursuit.

Leaders MWOPS beat Norton Community 4-2 to stay at the top of the standings with one match to go before the season ends.

Scottland with a game in hand, a tie between them and Karoi United which ended in drama after the match referee dramatically claimed to have been struck by a missile thrown by the home fans, kept their dreams intact with a 2-0 win over Herentals Under-20s.

After the win, Chivayo promised to provide individual cars to 15 other players while Sakupwanya could not be left out pledging US$10 000 per player if they land the title and Premiership status.

The club was formed at the beginning of the year and quickly assembled seasoned campaigners who stand on the doorstep of success.

Scottland’s high bonuses leaves Premier Soccer League players green with envy as a majority of them provide below US$400 winning bonuses per match and pay much less than that to players per month as salaries.

Traditional football sides Caps United, Dynamos, Hwange, Black Rhinos and Highlanders are struggling to keep up the pressure as they do not have the kind of money being thrown around by some of the mining houses and individually owned clubs of late.

They have been getting the best players and have dominated the championship in the last decade.

Caf B certificate holder Tafirenyika Nengasha who is involved with junior development in Hwange, expressed shock at the level of the bonuses Scottland players will get for winning the Northern Region Division One title.

“Yes, this is something else, our teams are being extinguished,” lamented Nengasha.

Fa Nkomazana who is a director of Mawabeni FC, who play in the Zifa Matabeleland South Division Two League, felt the big bonuses were a good omen for local football.

“Players will flock there. It’s good for football. Patrice Motsepe did it and it changed South African football,” said Nkomazana.

Former Zimbabwe Saints fringe players and Dynamos Supporters Chapter patron in Bulawayo, Sunungurayi Bhiza said: “It’s a tricky situation as most good players will rush to these teams. But on the other side big teams will never be destroyed by such approach. We had AmaZulu before who went through such lavish spending but our traditional teams remained standing. So such an approach to our football is honestly an act of gambling.

Ultimately they bring unprofessionalism into our football because very soon many referees will be paid to decide the outcome of some soccer matches. But Dynamos and Highlanders will never be killed by such an approach. Instead, they will stand to the challenge of time.”

Roy Phiri a former Olympics fringe player and top athletics administrator feels something has to be done.

“Something has to be done to address the situation, the big teams with no financial muscle, will have it the hard way. This situation will be similar to the EPL where the likes of Manchester City buy every good player in the market.

“No player is going to play for peanuts. This is a change of scenario, clubs with no financial muscle will lose all their good players,” said Phiri.

Chitalu Kasomo a soccer fan who rarely misses both Premiership and Division One teams every weekend at Bulawayo’s three stadia, Barbourfields Stadium, Luveve and White City says this is a scandal.

“That’s scandalous! Very unhealthy for our football. Virtually all players will want to join Scottland FC,” said Kasomo.

Formed early this year, Scottland have found themselves accused of using money to entice opposition players to under-perform and referees to give them favourable results.

To their credit, Scottland have assembled a squad of seasoned players who know why they are on the field like Ceopas Dube, goalkeeper Bheki Ncube, Denver Mukamba and former Warriors leftback Ronald Pfumbidzayi.