Sporting Lions collapse
From Bulawayo Bureau
SPORTING Lions are no more.
The Harare-based side have formally informed the Premier Soccer League on their decision to close shop as they are facing serious financial problems.
The clubs owner and Chimurenga music guru, Thomas "Mukanya" Mapfumo, admitted in an interview in February this year that the money he was raking in the United States could no longer sustain Sporting Lions.
"When I moved to the US, I used to send some hard currency to the directors for the teams upkeep. I used to send an average of about US$1 000 per week and it was a lot of money but the rates have gone down," said Mapfumo.
At the peak of the parallel market in 2003, the greenback sold for as much as $8 million for US$1 000 which was gobbled up in the players salaries, transport and accommodation.
Sporting Lions were reported to be one of the highest paying premiership clubs and attracted some of the biggest names in Zimbabwean soccer.
Former
Highlanders defender Dazzy Kapenya, Thabani Masawi, Blessing Gumiso and Charles Chilufya were snatched under the nose of the former league giants at the lure of the then "stronger" dollar.
In the last months Mapfumo has been running around courting directors to help him bankroll the club who were this year finding the going tough in the premiership where theyve registered one win in eight starts.
Chris Sambo, the Premiership interim secretary-general, confirmed that Sporting Lions had written to the leagues executive advising them that they were facing serious financial problems and cannot continue playing in the top-flight league.
The club is reported to have offered two options to survive — a merger with a Division One side Monomotapa or a total buy-out.
"Sporting Lions have formally informed us on their decision to wind down business as they are facing financial problems. We could see a merger with Monomotapa or a total buyout if anyone is willing to buy the club. The club said that they cannot resolve their financial problems and as the league we have accepted that," said Sambo.
Sambo said the merger with Monomotapa might hit a brickwall as it comes after the closure of the transfer window.
"We have since written to Zifa seeking clarification on the merger since Monomotapa intend to join the league with their players but then the transfer window has already closed. They want the merger like yesterday and cannot wait for the second transfer window period because they want to move with their players. The problem we have on our hands is the status of the players. We are expecting a clarification on the issue from Zifa sometime this week," said Sambo.
Sporting Lions three directors — Chris Goromonzi, Xavier Edziwa and Stan Kudenga — who collectively held a 40 percent stake in the club pulled out of the once flamboyant Harare side after differences with Mapfumo earlier this year.
"We poured millions of dollars into the team, however, our economy is no longer healthy.
"As we rebuild the team this time around, we are looking for dedicated players. We do not want bounty hunters. We want soccer players who are not greedy for money."
"We want to mount a challenge for the championship this season and make the team popular so that we raise funds from gatetakings. We are not after players who demand a salary of $20 million. There was so much luxury at Sporting Lions.
"We are not in England where players demand salaries in the region of $160 million," said Mapfumo then.
A strengthening local currency due to the monetary policy introduced by the Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon Gono, has precipitated a crisis at various indigenous-owned football clubs that depended on foreign currency exchanged on the black market.
Several clubs in Division One and the Premiership are expected to fold.
Sambo said there was nothing the PSL could do in the collapse of the clubs.
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