Sports / Soccer
Dynamos sitting on a time bomb
04 Dec 2013 at 03:02hrs | Views
DYNAMOS could be sitting on a time bomb in their preparations for next year's Champions League as the cash-strapped Harare giants still owe players various amounts in signing-on fees.
Dembare, who announced last week that they needed partners to help them raise $400 000 to take them, at least, to the mini-league phase in the continental inter-club competition, will need to fork out more in preparing their squad.
The Glamour Boys have been linked with a number of players to strengthen their squad ahead of the tournament which begins earlier than the domestic league.
While the technical team might be running around to compile their shopping list, it has emerged that there is discontent in the current set-up with old players begging that their outstanding issues also be given priority.
Dembare have agreed with most of their players to settle signing-on fees, which are due at the beginning of the year, in instalments.
The Harare giants also have a few players whose contracts are running out at the end of the month and would need to get into fresh talks.
Dembare coach Callisto Pasuwa acknowledged the club's situation and said it has made it difficult for him to talk about new signings when there had players with outstanding signing-on fees.
"I can't talk of new players when we have not yet settled debts with the ones in the squad already.
"We may end up having problems with the old players querying how we should be bringing in new signings when their outstanding issues have not been resolved.
"In the end it will be a tall order at training. We need to solve these issues because these are the same guys who have won the championship in the last two years. It doesn't matter how.
"Now that the season is over we are trying to sort out our team but the big problem is that we don't have money. As we speak there are still some players in this team that has won the championship who are yet to get their full signing-on fees.
"These are some of the things I feel should be dealt with first. If we can get the money to tie up the contracts with some of the players we already have in our books, that would be a big step forward.
"Nonetheless, I am told that everything will be settled by the end of December," said Pasuwa.
Dembare are hoping to get their final squad in place by the January 15 final deadline.
The technical team has already handed over their wish list to the executive as the Glamour Boys seek to make an impact next season following a disappointing run in the last three editions.
Pasuwa said Dembare should avoid the chaos that usually characterise their preparations.
Often the Harare giants runs around at the last minute to finalise their squad and in the process make serious mistakes of registering players they would never get after failing to agree on terms.
Clubs can only alter their squads submitted to Caf after the January 15 deadline when the new window opens six months later and any mistakes would mean that the club would have wasted slots. Dynamos were left in crisis early this year when they had registered such players as Aaron Katebe, Rodreck Mutuma, Martin Vengesayi and Simba Sithole but the players could not commit themselves to the cause.
"Previously, I would think that everything is alright but in the last minute we fail to reach an agreement with the player because some players insist that they want cash before signing.
"There will always be problems when the cash is not readily available and as a result we would be forced to run around at the last minute to sign other players.
"Money is needed readily so that we concentrate on players who have their minds in one place.
"We don't have time and we may end up risking it by registering injured players in the hope that they recover in time. Sometimes they won't and it becomes a problem."
Pasuwa said Dembare wanted to retain the bulk of their players although the club is understood to be interested in a number of players among them Monomotapa's Obey Mwerahari, Eric Chipeta, Donald Ngoma and Nelson Maziwisa.
"As of now I can't really say anything about the new players. We have to look at the budget first. I have been reading in the newspapers that we don't have money for Champions League yet.
"So we might have names and good list of players to pursue but what these people want is money.
"It's not about rushing to say we want this player or that player because we also have to show respect to the teams where these players are coming from by approaching them formally. We need to be professional," said Pasuwa.
Dembare, who announced last week that they needed partners to help them raise $400 000 to take them, at least, to the mini-league phase in the continental inter-club competition, will need to fork out more in preparing their squad.
The Glamour Boys have been linked with a number of players to strengthen their squad ahead of the tournament which begins earlier than the domestic league.
While the technical team might be running around to compile their shopping list, it has emerged that there is discontent in the current set-up with old players begging that their outstanding issues also be given priority.
Dembare have agreed with most of their players to settle signing-on fees, which are due at the beginning of the year, in instalments.
The Harare giants also have a few players whose contracts are running out at the end of the month and would need to get into fresh talks.
Dembare coach Callisto Pasuwa acknowledged the club's situation and said it has made it difficult for him to talk about new signings when there had players with outstanding signing-on fees.
"I can't talk of new players when we have not yet settled debts with the ones in the squad already.
"We may end up having problems with the old players querying how we should be bringing in new signings when their outstanding issues have not been resolved.
"In the end it will be a tall order at training. We need to solve these issues because these are the same guys who have won the championship in the last two years. It doesn't matter how.
"Now that the season is over we are trying to sort out our team but the big problem is that we don't have money. As we speak there are still some players in this team that has won the championship who are yet to get their full signing-on fees.
"These are some of the things I feel should be dealt with first. If we can get the money to tie up the contracts with some of the players we already have in our books, that would be a big step forward.
"Nonetheless, I am told that everything will be settled by the end of December," said Pasuwa.
Dembare are hoping to get their final squad in place by the January 15 final deadline.
The technical team has already handed over their wish list to the executive as the Glamour Boys seek to make an impact next season following a disappointing run in the last three editions.
Pasuwa said Dembare should avoid the chaos that usually characterise their preparations.
Often the Harare giants runs around at the last minute to finalise their squad and in the process make serious mistakes of registering players they would never get after failing to agree on terms.
Clubs can only alter their squads submitted to Caf after the January 15 deadline when the new window opens six months later and any mistakes would mean that the club would have wasted slots. Dynamos were left in crisis early this year when they had registered such players as Aaron Katebe, Rodreck Mutuma, Martin Vengesayi and Simba Sithole but the players could not commit themselves to the cause.
"Previously, I would think that everything is alright but in the last minute we fail to reach an agreement with the player because some players insist that they want cash before signing.
"There will always be problems when the cash is not readily available and as a result we would be forced to run around at the last minute to sign other players.
"Money is needed readily so that we concentrate on players who have their minds in one place.
"We don't have time and we may end up risking it by registering injured players in the hope that they recover in time. Sometimes they won't and it becomes a problem."
Pasuwa said Dembare wanted to retain the bulk of their players although the club is understood to be interested in a number of players among them Monomotapa's Obey Mwerahari, Eric Chipeta, Donald Ngoma and Nelson Maziwisa.
"As of now I can't really say anything about the new players. We have to look at the budget first. I have been reading in the newspapers that we don't have money for Champions League yet.
"So we might have names and good list of players to pursue but what these people want is money.
"It's not about rushing to say we want this player or that player because we also have to show respect to the teams where these players are coming from by approaching them formally. We need to be professional," said Pasuwa.
Source - herald
