'We don't want our players to go to South Africa'

Said to have already pledged bonuses of close to R150,000 to the likes of Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona, the owner of Scottland FC says he wants to make Zimbabwean football so lucrative that local players do not have to move to South Africa.

Scottland owner Scott Sakupwanya has confirmed that he is on a rigorous mission to enhance Zimbabwean domestic football.

Known to be a generous big spender, the business tycoon has already spent a fortune bringing the likes of Billiat and Musona to the club, two players who were once revered in South Africa.

It is increasingly apparent that the spending is set to continue through bonuses and other expenditure.

According to NewsDay Zimbabwe, Sakupwanya confirmed that he had pledged a staggering $10,000 (approximately R164,000) in bonuses for players after finishing the first half of the season top of the table.

“You have to pay players so that they stay happy,” Sakupwanya said. “I had promised them US$5,000 for finishing top of the log after 18 games and I have since put it up to US$10,000. They are working, they need to feed their families.”

He added that the plan was to retain Zimbabwe’s best players rather than having them move to South Africa.

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“We don’t want our players to go to South Africa. They must stay in Zimbabwe,” Sakupwanya stated.

“My goal is to bring all the good players who are out of the country to return home and play in Zimbabwe.”