Stories by Ray Bande Senior Reporter
MANICA Diamonds’ coach Luke Masomere – whose team has travelled a total of 7 546km by road in just nine matches played so far – says the club might fold in the next three weeks as it crumbles under the yoke of prohibitive travelling costs, Post Sport has learnt.
The Gem Boys, as Manica Diamonds are fondly referred to, have never known how it feels to play before a typical home crowd after they were left to host their home matches some 350km away at Gibo Stadium in Triangle in Chiredzi.
Playing their home matches away from home also means that Manica Diamonds lose out on potential revenue from gate takings as folks in Triangle can hardly identify with the club hence reluctant to fork out their hard earned cash to watch the team in action.
Apart from lost revenue, Manica Diamonds’ players have suffered the most in the Premiership in terms of fatigue from travelling as they shuttle from one end of the country to the other every weekend to fulfil fixtures.
Given the spiralling costs of fuel, accommodation and food among other logistical needs that come with playing away from home, the Mutare side is feeling the pinch of being on the road every weekend and their coach opened up this week on how the club is now finding it difficult to foot the bill.
Masomere told Post Sport that their budget has been strained to the extent that the club might be forced to close shop.
“I am not directly involved in the operations of the club executive but as the head coach I am aware of how much the club budget has been strained by travelling week-in week-out.
“I can honestly tell you that the club will fold in the next three weeks if this trend continues. What is happening (banning of Vengere) is not good for the players, it is not good for us as a technical department, it is not good for the sponsor and generally, it is not good for football,” said Masomere.
The former Shabanie Mine gaffer said his team no longer has time to conduct proper training because of a tight travelling schedule.
“We were in Kariba for a league match during the weekend and we are now going to travel to Gibo Stadium for another league match that we were supposed to play at home at Vengere Stadium. Surely how do you expect a team to have enough time to conduct proper training when we are travelling like that?
“Even our position on the log is not a true reflection of our pedigree because our counterparts have comparative advantage over us because of this tight travelling schedule,” he said.
Masomere queried how PSL would overturn a decision that was made by competent people mandated to inspect grounds.
“If this is being done in the name of professionalism it is fine with me but if it is about football politics then it is sad, to be polite. Surely how can PSL overturn a decision that was made by competent people mandated to inspect grounds?
“It appears there are people sabotaging the efforts being made by the Zifa president Felton Kamambo in bringing sanity to our football. The president is making great improvements to the administration of the game of football in this country but individuals like the ones denying Manica Diamonds the right to play at Vengere are sabotaging Kamambo’s efforts,” he said.