8 Archieford Gutu academy youths stranded in UAE ...

8 Archieford Gutu academy youths stranded in UAE as debts mount

The Herald - Breaking news. — **Archieford Gutu**

Eight young Zimbabwean footballers are stranded in the United Arab Emirates after their passports were withheld by hotels they have been staying at due to defaulted payments.

The players are also in trouble with the UAE immigration laws after they overstayed for more than 50 days in Dubai.

The players are part of the Archieford Gutu Boys Academy that travelled to Dubai on February 24 to feature in some matches with the promise of securing professional contracts.

The players include academy captain Blessing Jonas, Kembo Moyana, Tino Zaranyika, Nigel Mandibatsira, Nyasha Mulongoti, Craig Mutakura, and Tinashe Junior Gutu together with Gutu and his family.

The repatriation costs for the players are expected to amount to $2 500 per player.

Each day the players are in Dubai they are attracting a fine of 50 dirhams - about USS$13,62 per day.

Each player has so far accumulated a fine of about US$860.

The Zimbabwean delegation had a tourist single entry visa which is valid for 30 days. It is about 63 days since their visas expired and still counting.

Zimbabwean middle-distance runner Royal Mabika and Young Mighty Warriors conditioning coach Shingi Mugwini, who are based in the United Arab Emirates in their individual capacities, have stepped in to assist the players in securing decent rented accommodation.

The players were staying in dangerous dungeons in downtown Deira and sometimes would go to Sharjah to look for accommodation.

Some days the players would go to bed on empty stomachs.

The two Zimbabweans on Sunday went to the Zimbabwean consulate in Abu Dhabi with two of the players who narrated their whole ordeal to the embassy officials.

Yesterday, Gutu was summoned to the embassy where he gave his side of the story and informed the Zimbabwean officials that he has no money to settle the bills.

The Zimbabwean embassy has since informed the players that they can only facilitate but are not in a position to assist the stranded young athletes financially.

The parents are also running around to raise the required money for the immigration fines so that the players will settle the overstay fines as they exit the country. Without paying those fines the players cannot exit the United Arab Emirates.

According to the parents, Gutu has been making false promises using divide-and-rule strategies on the parents, assuring them that everything was in order.

“I never asked any parent to give me money for any passport. All the parents with their kids here are very much aware that we are still here and finishing off what we came here for. I know a lot of people are not happy with this move because I have managed to do what most people have failed to do.

“Anyway, people want to tarnish my image but my progress will speak for itself,” Gutu said.

Gutu said his business partner defaulted on his promise to cater to some of the players in Dubai. He, however, failed to answer why he would let the players overstay in Dubai when their visas had expired.

ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said Gutu’s academy was neither registered nor did it seek clearance from ZIFA to travel outside the country on football business.

“The Academy is not registered with us. It did not seek clearance to travel from us. We have read about the plight of the players in the media and we were not aware.

“We call upon the law enforcement agents to act. We also encourage those operating illegal football academies to adhere to ZIFA statutes,” Gwesela said.

A total of 17 players were part of that delegation led out by the former Warriors midfielder and his wife Monalisa Dube.