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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
CHEGUTU Pirates have promised to pay players their outstanding allowances after sourcing funds from the community ahead of their match against Starbill on Sunday at Rufaro in the World Navi Northern Region Division One soccer league.
Club chairman Musiiwa Dube said they have been battling to raise money that will go towards the players’ welfare. He said the decision was made during a meeting held on Wednesday. The players boycotted training for three days last week ahead of their game against Karoi United over outstanding allowances although they fulfilled the match.

“We discussed performance of the team and mobilising resources because we are happy with the results we are getting from the coaches that we have.
“We were looking at ways of raising money to boost the morale of our team ahead of the Starbill game. We did not have enough money for funding but we managed to source some funds from the community and we will add it to what we get from our sponsor, the council.

“We have seen that this is what has been negatively impacting on our team.
“We resolved that we will clear part of the money. On winning bonuses we owe them for the one match they won over the weekend but the main issue is their allowances,” said Dube.

Dube said they will have another meeting next week to deal with dismissal of Tavaka Gumbo after they failed to make a quorum required to make the final decision.
Gumbo was fired last month after a dreadful run of results but the former coach blamed their poor run on the financial challenges the club was facing.

However, there have been allegations that the coach is trying to force his way back to the team and there are reports that a section of the club’s supporters are backing Gumbo to return to the team.

Dube yesterday said they could not come up with a final position during Wednesday’s meeting since some of the people who were supposed to attend could not make it.
“The Gumbo issue, we didn’t touch it because we did not have the required quorum to resolve it. We will have a meeting on Monday. It’s unfortunate because that is what people wanted to hear. There are so many questions.

“The team is rising, but it is the negativity of the Gumbo issue that we are worried about,” said Dube.

Fixtures
Tomorrow: Gunners vs Karoi (Afdis), Royal Classic vs Morris (Tsungubvi), Seven Flames vs Flame Lilly (Commando), Twalumba vs Mushowani (Dzivarasekwa), Bindura vs Blue Swallows (Chipadze), Ngezi Platinum vs DStv Rangers (Boabab Ngezi), DC academy vs Commando (Tomlinson), Black Mambas vs Lake Harvest (Morris).
Sunday: Starbill vs Chegutu Pirates(Rufaro).