The Chronicle
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
SENIOR Highlanders players have blamed the club’s one size fits all salary model as one of the reasons why the team has failed to impose its dominance on the local football scene.
The players said while it was appreciated that their salary was guaranteed, some of their teammates are no longer putting in their all for the team, knowing fully well that whether they win, lose or draw, their monthly salary will still reflect in full. They said bonuses were just an extra incentive.
Speaking during separate interviews with Chronicle Sport, the players said to encourage full commitment and increase competition for starting jerseys, there must be a motivational clause that states that if one plays a certain number of games in a given month, he will either get a full package or have a certain percentage deducted if one never made it into the match day squads.
“Personally, I don’t think all of us are giving it our all for the team, we have players who just want to get a salary but are not really for the cause.
The club must remodel its salary system to enforce allegiance and commitment, we are not pulling and fighting for the cause, some of us seem to be interested in money only, what supporters feel when we don’t win it’s never their concern,” said one player.
Another senior player said there is need to have a minimum salary but those who would have made it into the match day squads must then be given something extra at the end of the month, unless one is clearly incapacitated to play.
“This one size fits all doesn’t seem to work, some of us could be compared to gold diggers, yet playing for Highlanders goes far beyond that.
This is why to some supporters, this club is like a religion. We need everyone who wears that jersey to see it in the same way as our supporters.
Can you imagine one plays four or five games in a month and another features once, twice or doesn’t feature at all but come month-end we all get US$100,” he said. He said even bonuses mustn’t be the same.
“If you follow the club history, you will realise that all the glory days where when it had no sponsorship where salaries were guaranteed and everyone knew that in order to put food on the table, Sundays had to be slaughter days but now things are no longer like that,” he said. Highlanders spokesperson Ronald Moyo said salaries are paid as per contract
“Players’ salaries are fixed. It’s only winning bonus that is given to those who would have made it into the match day squad,” said Moyo.
During the Kennedy Ndebele chairmanship, Highlanders bonuses were not fixed but accumulative, increasing with every win but would go back to basic once the team registers a loss.
Bosso are third from bottom on the standings, having failed not only to win but score in their opening three Premier Soccer League matches.
Article Source: The Chronicle