Staff Reporter, The Zimbabwe national soccer team manager Sharif Mussa, has told ZANU PF supporters aligned to Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa that the soccer players are not mercenaries but professional footballers.

Reacting to statements by the angry ZANU PF youths who described the team as a bunch of mercenaries after it refused to attend a government send off dinner which was meant to be presided over by Mnangagwa, Mussa said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his players deciding to go on a collective action to demand what was due to them.

Speaking to the media at the Harare International Airport shortly before the departure of the team, Mussa said that it was unfair to describe the players as mercenaries. “We need to identify the meaning of the word mercenary in the dictionary first then we can take it from there and attach the meaning against the actions of the Zimbabwe Warriors,” said Mussa.

“As their team manager what I know is that they were just asking for what they felt is what they should get pertaining to this qualification.” The team angered the ZANU PF supporters for standing up to the Vice President who is the Acting President claiming that the move by the players was deliberate sabotage to embarrass Mnangagwa in front of the rival G40 faction.