The two are effectively stuck in a rut because they have nowhere to go
BONGANI MALUNGA
The latest South African club to publicly announce that they are considering pay cuts for players following the COVID-19 pandemic is First Division (Glad Africa Championship) side TS Galaxy where Zebras players Mosha Gaolaolwe and Ezekiel Morake ply their trade.
Club owner and chairman Tim Sukazi was quoted in South African media outlets as saying they are seriously considering pay cuts across the board in order to survive the harsh economic times brought about by the Coronavirus.
Football publication Soccer Laduma quoted Sukazi painting a worrying picture of what lies ahead for Botswana’s duo. “We are definitely looking into our own situation,” he said. “But we will be able to pin a finger or determine with absolute certainty a day or two before the end of the month. Things are different at the moment and the situation keeps changing. We have given our people the heads up. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19 everyone at the club was well aware that we do not have a sponsor. The club is reliant on one person’s businesses injecting money into the club. Should that not happen, there would be a negative impact on our ability to fulfill our commitments of any nature, whether operational or administrational or strictly paying our employees.”
The pay cuts would be a devastating blow for the Botswana duo. This publication previously reported the players’ unhappy situation that was made worse by their inability to leave the club in January for different reasons.
For Gaolaolwe, TS Galaxy placed a R1.2 million price tag on him which prevented local clubs from pursuing him. Morake, on the other hand, did not command much interest from local clubs and he was advised to stay. Both players are still contractually tied to TS Galaxy for two more years with an option of another renewal. However, COVID-19 is expected to have a major impact on players’ transfer valuations and Gaolaolwe could soon find himself on the market again with a lower price tag.