Ishemunyoro Chingwere of Sunday Mail writes: MONOMOTAPA PRAY FOR GOOD RUN Financially struggling Castle Lager Premier Soccer League side Monomotapa say success on the field of play is the only way that can see them through the dark cloud that is hovering above them. While noting the trying times they find themselves in, the 2008 Zimbabwean league champions, who are failing to pay salaries and bonuses, have to find the extra energy and drive to grind results that will lure sponsors and qualify them for tournaments next season, says chairman Joseph Mukoki. Chinomakwa Nani, as Monoz now love to call themselves, have struggled without former proprietor and chief financier Solomon Mugavazi who was last year suspended from all football activities by the local football mother body for his role in the Asiagate match- fixing scandal. Mugavazi subsequently bequeathed his stake to Mukoki and his deputy Samuel Mukubvu through the latter’s catering services company Tanaka Ventures. “The situation we are currently operating in is not the best. We are in dire need of financial injection but we also appreciate that for the funds to come our way, we need to do well on the field of play. We owe our players a lot of money in unpaid salaries and bonuses, so everybody associated with Monoz knows we must do our best in cup competitions so that our chances of a big pay cheque continue to increase. “We are also confident that we will do very well in the Mbada Diamonds Cup and finish in a good position on the log so that we will qualify for the top 8 tournament next season as well as others that will be meant for those that would have done well the previous season as was the case with the Charity Shield,” said Mukoki, who spoke before his side was booted out of the BancABC Sup8r by FC Platinum yesterday. Mukoki also spoke about the possibility of selling the club whose franchise was almost sold to Flame Lily back in 2011. “We have not yet come to the position where we can say we are selling the club. That conclusion will be tantamount to jumping the gun because we still have destiny in our hands. But if all this (good run in cup and league games) does not happen and we fail to get the much-needed sponsorship, then unfortunately there might be no Monoz to talk about next season. “I have noted a misconception in some circles that Chroma Paints is bankrolling us, but those are just uniforms from last season which we have continued to use because we cannot afford to buy new ones,” Mukoki said. He explained that the club also finds itself in a catch-22 situation with regards the welfare of star player Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo whose skills clearly clamour for a better platform. “The Rooney issue is a dilemma. We wish he could get a professional contract outside our borders and this will obviously mean a cash injection into our operations, but you will also have to realise that we might struggle without him as he has really been our mainstay,” he said.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 07:00:20 +0000
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