KWEKWE – After suffering yet another bruising defeat—this time a 3-0 humiliation at the hands of fellow strugglers Triangle United—Kwekwe United head coach Paul Chimalizeni didn’t mince his words.
“I need players with Premier League experience,” he said, his voice heavy with frustration. “But I also need players, honestly, to win.”
Chimalizeni’s post-match plea sounded familiar: the desire for reinforcements, the need for character in the dressing room, and the hope that the upcoming transfer window might breathe life into a club gasping at the bottom of the log.
But as the coach dreams, reality bites.
Broke and Broken
The same week the team slumped to their 11th defeat of the season and remained rooted to the bottom of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League table with just 8 points from 16 games, reports emerged that Kwekwe United had failed to pay for ambulance services, stadium fees, police security, and match officiating.
The financial troubles are so dire that in April, the club was fined US$3,000 and handed a 3-0 default loss after players refused to show up for their match against Herentals—downing tools over unpaid wages. The Premier Soccer League confirmed the decision, making Kwekwe United one of the few teams in recent memory to be penalized for internal labour unrest.
How then, many are asking, can a club that struggles to meet basic matchday obligations hope to sign seasoned Premier League players?
The Toll of the Freefall
Kwekwe United’s recent results paint a grim picture: a solitary win since March, 32 goals conceded (a league worst), and a goal difference of -26. They are statistically the league’s punching bag. In fact, even their lone bright spots—a 1-0 win over Bikita Minerals and a 1-1 draw against GreenFuel—now seem like distant memories.
In the stands, the once-passionate home crowd at Bata Stadium has thinned out, with whispers of boycotts and disillusionment.
Whose Club Is It Anyway?
Off the field, questions abound over the club’s leadership. Who is in charge of day-to-day operations? Where is the promised funding from local stakeholders? And why has the local business community remained silent while the team, which once brought hope to the city, slides into chaos?
What Next?
Tomorrow, Kwekwe United faces CAPS United at 15:00 in a fixture many expect to be another grim outing. With confidence at rock bottom and morale in free fall, it’s unclear how the players will respond.
For Chimalizeni, the dream of signing new players may be just that—a dream. Until the club addresses its fundamental financial rot, questions will linger: Can a team fighting relegation afford to buy players? And more critically, will any player come?
As it stands, Kwekwe United are not just bottom of the table—they’re bottom of belief.
