DeMbare finally get player transfer matrix right

By Grace Chingoma

Dynamos will finally benefit from player transfers after years of missing out on lucrative pickings as they are set to get about $100 000 following the move of two of their players to Tanzania.

Elisha Muroiwa and Wisdom Mutasa have joined top-flight club Singida United.

DeMbare have lost a considerable amount of money after failing to capitalise on the movement of their players.

Last month they missed out any opportunity to get a fee for Warriors goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, who moved to South Africa Premiership side Cape Town City as a free agent.

That was only a month after the expiry of his contract with the club.

The club did not benefit from the move of former skipper and junior development product Augustine Mbara, who moved to South Africa side Highlands Park in July last year, after he decided not to extend his contract.

There were no such problems for the former champions this time since the club had running contracts with the players.

The players will move to Tanzania during the mid-season transfer window.

Yesterday, club president Kenny Mubaiwa said it has not been entirely their fault that players leave as free agents.

“We are obviously happy that something will be coming into our coffers. It is a healthy situation for the club especially a big club like Dynamos and the money will help us a lot in the running of the club.

“If we are able to groom and sell at least two players each season it would be better for us.

“We were involved in the deals of these two players from the start, they have running contracts, we negotiated for the figures and we will be getting something,” he said.

Mubaiwa said they last benefited from such a transaction in 2014 when defender Partson Jaure moved to Pretoria University.

“As a club we don’t stand in the player’s way when a better offer comes up. But we have encountered problems with some of the players who drag their feet in renewing contracts until they finally leave for another club.

“If you look at Mukuruva’s case, he assured us that he would renew his contract while buying time because he knew some offers were being tabled for him.

“And that was the same with Mbara, we tried to exercise that six-month option to renew a contract, but because he knew he might leave it never happened.

“But we have had sincere players like Jaure.

“We tied him down even when he knew that he was getting enquiries from South African clubs. He told us that he wanted us to benefit as well from his move since he had been with us as a junior. And that was the same with (Washington) Arubi,” said Mubaiwa.

The Harare businessman believes players’ handlers have a lot of influence in these transactions.

“As a player does well, people come behind the scenes with many promises and when the club tries to engage the same player to renew the contract before expiry, he becomes difficult to deal with knowing there have been some enquiries and he might eventually move once the contract expires.

“I think these agents find it easier and cheaper to market a free agent compared to an attached player and, maybe, these agents dangle that carrot to foreign clubs that if you buy such a player during this period, he would be unattached and you would have saved at least $50 000 that was supposed to go to the club.

“I don’t really understand how these people operate and what they stand to benefit in the end,” he said.

Mubaiwa said they have now resolved to strictly tie down players to at least two years.

“If you look at the current players they each have two-year contracts. Even our new signings, we tied them to two years,” he said.

The club recently signed Cameroonian striker Joel Christian Epoupa Ntouba, Quality Kangadze and goalkeeper Blessing Mwandimutsira.

However, Mubaiwa said at times it makes business sense to offer a player a one-year contract. The Herald