Chiefs refute reports on unpaid salaries
Mochudi Centre Chiefs have refuted reports that the club has not paid players and technical staff salaries in recent months. Reports reaching Mmegi Sport are that the club is still struggling to pay salaries despite securing a sponsorship deal with DC Tours and Travel. In February, Chiefs signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with DC Tours worth a massive P68 million. As per the agreement, DC Tours will pour P6.8 million into Chiefs’ coffers every season. During Magosi’s general assembly last month, the club told the membership that DC Tours is entitled to 86.5% of the commercial rights associated with the club.
This means DC Tours is entitled to 86.5% of the club’s gate takings, merchandise and commercial rights with Chiefs benefiting just 13.5%.
The club also announced that since the start of the year, they have grossed P350,802 from six home games. It has therefore come as a shocker that reports are suggesting Chiefs are struggling to pay salaries. Speaking to Mmegi Sport, a source said salaries were last credited in February and since then the staff at Magosi have been struggling to survive. The source further said DC Tours has provided the club with a minibus for match days.
“The team relies on gate takings which they also share with DC Tours. DC Tours gives Chiefs a 23-seater (bus) every game,” the source said. However, the club’s chairperson, Victor Kobe has said the recent reports lack truth and intend to soil the relationship the club enjoys with DC Tours. Kobe said DC Tours has credited all the salaries since the start of the two entities’ partnership with one hiccup in March. “DC Tours has never failed to pay our players and technical team.
The only thing that happened was a delay in payment and that was in April as our sponsor had another event in Maun. So the event in Maun caused the delay but since then all the salaries are paid on time.
“We credited our salaries on the seventh of each month and no salary has been credited after with the exception of one. We do not know where the reports come from but we believe are from members of the public and media who are trying to tarnish the club’s name,” Kobe said. Chiefs will play in the second tier football for the fourth consecutive season after failing to gain promotion. The team sits sixth on the log and out of the promotion race as they are nine points behind leaders, VTM FC with just two games to be played.
Tomorrow, Magosi take on Broadhurst United at the River Plate ground as they look to finish in a decent position. In the other games, VTM will look to inch closer to automatic promotion as they take on Matebejana away at Holy Ghost Park. Second-placed CRACKiT City Polar welcome Black Rangers at the City Polar Stadium while URI Black Forest visit Tlokweng United at the Tlokweng VDC grounds. Fourthplaced Notwane welcome Uniao Flamingo Santos at the SSG Grounds as third-placed Matebele FC are in Jwaneng to play Young Stars. All the games kick off at 3:30pm.