Highlanders’ preparations for their matchday 31 fixture against Hwange at the Colliery have been thrown into disarray by a player strike over unpaid winning bonuses.

The players have refused to train for the past two days demanding owed winning bonuses for four games against Shabanie Mine, Chicken Inn, Triangle United and Black Rhinos.

According to the players, winning bonuses for matches are pegged at $170 per player, meaning each is owed $680.

The cash-strapped Bosso need a total of $12 240 to clear the players’ outstanding winning bonuses. This figure excludes allowances for the technical staff, some of whom are reported to have gone for months without pay.

The technical team was forced to cancel Wednesday’s training session at Barbourfields Stadium’s outside grounds after the players refused to take to the field despite having changed into their training kit.

Not even an address by Highlanders’ executive members consisting of acting chairman Modern Ngwenya, secretary-general Emmett Ndlovu and treasurer Donald Ndebele could convince players to change their minds.

It is not the first time that Highlanders players have been at loggerheads with the executive over bonuses this season. They downed their boots in the build-up to their first leg clash against Hwange in June, a match they went on to win 3-0 having skipped two days of training.

Bosso players also threatened to go on strike in the build-up to the FC Platinum game and the club was bailed out by its benefactor, Kenneth Mhlophe of Nokel Security.

The players blamed the executive for the two-day industrial action saying: “Last week on Monday the club promised to pay us before the game against Caps United but reneged on the promise. They didn’t make any effort to tell us why they had failed to honour their promise.”

The players, who spoke to our sister paper, the Chronicle, alleged that members of the executive had tried to victimise them instead of addressing their grievances.

“The problem is that they are not being honest with us. They came here and tried to divide us saying those who want to play should move to the other side and those who don’t want should remain seated. Unfortunately for them, the decision not to train was collective and no one moved. It was after that, that the training was cancelled,” said one player.

When a Chronicle Sports crew arrived at the Bosso training ground on Wednesday afternoon, the technical team could be seen holding talks with the captains, Erick Mudzingwa, Ariel Sibanda and Rahman Kutsanzira.

The rest of the players clad in training gear were milling around about 10m away from where the “talks” were taking place.

The captains went for consultations with the rest of the players before they were all called by the technical team. It seemed no breakthrough was reached and the executive pitched up 30 minutes later to address the players.

After the players dismissed, Highlanders’ executive headed to their club offices for a meeting.

The players claimed they were told that they will hear from the club after the meeting.