Caps United have sacked five senior players including the club’s skipper Ronald Chitiyo for being the ring leaders of the industrial action which saw their match against Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday being delayed by thirty minutes.
In addition to Chitiyo the fading Harare giants also sacked the quintet of Goalkeeper Simba Chinani, defender Dennis Dauda, midfielder Devon Chafa and strikers Rodwell Chinyengetere and Clive Augusto.
The dismissal of the players comes after the Caps United’s game against Cranborne Bullets was almost called off after the Harare giants’ players refused to play in the match in protest over low salaries and unpaid bonuses.
The players were protesting over low salaries and unpaid bonuses, and did not meet at the team hotel ahead of the match, but grouped at a different location.
The Caps United team bus arrived at the match venue empty while the players eventually turned up thirty minutes after the scheduled kick-off and did not hold a warm-up session.
Predictably Caps United went on to lose the encounter 2-0 courtesy of a brace from Brian Muzondiwa and they could’ve lost by a bigger margin had Bullets been precise in front of goal.
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe who is close to the club president Farai Jere described the strike by the players’ behaviour as thuggish.
“It was thuggish behaviour from the boys, I don’t think it was necessary,” Chitembwe said.
“I’m sure it has humbled them because of this defeat. When such things happen obviously you stand to lose, you don’t win. I expected this kind of result considering what had happened.”