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morale in the team and could be one of the big reasons why the Glamour Boys have suddenly hit a bad patch.
The DeMbare players have now spent more than a month waiting for their March salaries and, by yesterday, nothing had been deposited into their accounts.
Dynamos fans have struggled to find answers to their team’s sudden slump in form that has seen the Glamour Boys winning just two of their last eight matches in both league and cup competitions.
Crucially, it has emerged that the non-payment of salaries was a BIG issue in their camp when Dynamos travelled to Algeria for the second leg of their Champions League first round tie.
The demoralised Glamour Boys left Harare with turmoil in their camp, amid concerns by the players that they were flying on club duty while leaving their families penniless, and this could have had a hand in their 0-3 defeat.
It marked the first time that Dynamos have been knocked out in the first round of the tournament since they entered the tourney for the first time in 1981.
The DeMbare Class of 2011 also became the first group of Glamour Boys to fail to make the group stages of the Champions League since the tournament assumed this identity, and dumped its old name of Cup of Club Champions, in 1997.
During that time Dynamos have reached the final and the semi-finals and this year were ranked ninth on the continent but their ranking is set to take a severe beating at the end of the season.
The MC Alger match came on April 4, four days after the end of the month, with nothing having been deposited in the players’ accounts.
The average Dynamos player gets a US$300 monthly salary although it differs from player to player depending on seniority and perceived value to the team.
Players also get bonuses for winning games and, in the Dynamos players’ case, their plight has been worsened by the fact that they have not been winning league matches.
DeMbare have only won one of their five league matches, beating FC Platinum 2-0, and have drawn two against Highlanders and Hwange and lost to Kiglon and Motor Action.
Crucially, the Dynamos bad run – which includes the losses to Kiglon, Motor Action and MC Alger – coincide with the period of turmoil related to the non-payment of the salaries for March.
Coach Lloyd Mutasa was targeted by some of the Dynamos fans after a goalless draw against Hwange at Rufaro on Good Friday.
But the revelations of the problems besieging their camp, related to the non-payment of salaries which has deflated players’ morale, will certainly give Mutasa an alibi for the team’s poor performance of late.
Dynamos’ players told The Herald yesterday that their camp was in turmoil and morale had been eroded because of their employer’s failure to pay their March salaries.
The players also complained bitterly that they were bundled into a sub-standard lodge in Bulawayo on Sunday ahead of their Battle of Zimbabwe showdown against Highlanders.
The lodge, said the players, didn’t have television facilities in rooms.
The Glamour Boys battled their way to a goalless draw against Bosso.
“Imagine that since March we have not been paid a salary and now were are at the end of April,” said one of the players.
“But we have been brave enough all along and we were hoping that the issue will be settled soon. Morale is just low right now.”
The players yesterday discussed the issue of their outstanding salaries before their training session at Raylton before deciding to continue preparing for their game against Masvingo United at Rufaro on Monday.
Club chairman Farai Munetsi, who has in the past made it clear that Dynamos are facing a crisis in terms of their finances, yesterday dismissed the claims that they owe players their March salaries.
“As far as I am concerned we have paid the signing-on fees.
“There has been no sit in and I have talked to my manager and the coach.
“I have been in meetings all day and I have not heard of any complaints,” said Munetsi.
DeMbare have just five points, from as many games and the Glamour Boys are believed to have borrowed heavily to finance their doomed Champions League campaign.
The DeMbare officials were hoping to cash in on the proceeds that come with reaching the group stages but, with the club’s elimination in the first round, nothing will come into their coffers.
There have been proposals for the club to raise capital through the sale of some of its shares but the idea keeps floating around and has yet to be implemented amid reports that the founding fathers are concerned their power could be wiped away.
Yesterday team manager Richard Chihoro all but confirmed that Dynamos were facing serious financial challenges as he made a passionate appeal to the clubs’ supporters to help the team.
Chihoro made the appeal as Dynamos, in conjunction with S. Chiware Sports Consultancy, officially launched their fund-raising activities in Harare’s First Street.
The fund-raising scheme is part of Dynamos’ Golden Jubilee Celebrations set for 2013, when the country’s biggest football club turns 50, and part of the money raised will also be used to settle the US$5 000 fine imposed on the club by Caf.
Dynamos were slapped with the fine for the violent behaviour of their players during the Champions League tie against MC Alger.
Guthrie Zhokinyi and Archie Gutu were sent off while Egyptian referee Fahim Omar issued seven yellow cards to the team in controversial circumstances.
“We are trying to raise money for the club. The club is facing a fine from Caf and we are here to sell these posters as part of efforts to raise money,” said Chihoro.
“The money we are getting from the gates is not enough for the club and we have about 50 000 posters on sale.”
Under the fund-raising concept, Dynamos fans can buy the club’s posters that carry the players’ autographs.
Mutasa and his assistant Ralph Kawondera led some of their players during the official launch of the fund-raising activities.
Washington Arubi, David Kutyauripo, Rodrick Mutuma, Tawanda Muparati, Dominic Benati and Archie Gutu signed some of the posters which were on sale to the fans along First Street Mall.
“This is just the start of our fund-raising efforts and we are planning on selling more merchandise in future,” said Chihoro.
“The next step would be to stop those people who are selling posters and flags at matches without the consent of the club. Those people are making money at the expense of the club but at least, in the partnership with S. Chiware, the club will also get something.
“Maybe in future we should engage the police so that the club does not lose the revenue through people who sell the regalia,” said Chihoro.
After the First Street Mall session, the Dynamos squad went to Braeside Spar where there were treated to a luncheon.
Consultant Shepherd Chiware said they will be back in First Street Mall again today before they spread their activities to other parts of the country.
“We have teamed up with Dynamos to raise funds and commemorate the club’s Golden Jubilee in 2013.
“The selling of posters is just one of the concepts but we hope to sell golf shirts, caps, T-shirts and other merchandise.
“It’s unfortunate that as we are raising money for the celebrations we have also realised that the club had been slapped with a fine from Caf and we hope to help the club pay the fine from these efforts.
“Besides we want to bring out the role model in these player because that is the concept in Europe where players also play a part to help their teams and communities,” said Chiware.