Chiefs problems deepen
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday May 9, 2017 14:32
Chiefs were minutes away from failing to fulfil their fixture against Extension Gunners in what is increasingly becoming a forgettable season.
Players and the technical team have watched their bank balance remain stagnant since mid-January when the club made part payments.
Since then, successive talks have yielded false promises and the fed-up players had decided against travelling to Lobatse to face Gunners’ wrath.
In the past, senior players skipped some matches, forcing coach, Bongani Mafu to turn to inexperienced young guns to rescue the situation.
On Saturday, the players were on the verge of boycotting the match, in what has now become the norm at a club that has embarrassingly slid off the radar, after a decade of dominance.
Chiefs are ninth and battling to at least finish in the top eight to ensure participation in the next edition of the Mascom Top 8.
Sources within the Kgatleng giants camp believe even finishing in the top eight might prove elusive if there is no drastic twist in fortunes.
“As players we were told that if we don’t fulfil fixtures, the team would be suspended. We listened with the hope that the executive will play its part and raise what they owe us.
It’s now three months without salaries.
In January we were partly paid and since then it has been nothing,” said a player speaking on condition of anonymity.
The executive keeps transferring blame and at times they pay a few senior players, which riles the juniors who have been faithful.
“But I guess as players we are now united, that is why we wanted to boycott the game,” the player said, just hours before the kick-off of the Gunners.
Chiefs have appeared lost after parting ways with investor, Saeyd Jamali at the beginning of the season.