Highlanders coach Benjani Mwaruwari has finally broken his silence on the player strike that disrupted the club’s preparations ahead of the Battle of Zimbabwe against Dynamos two weeks ago, urging the board to settle the team’s outstanding salaries.

The strike saw Highlanders players boycott training over unpaid salaries before they eventually returned to prepare for the blockbuster encounter.

Reflecting on the situation, Mwaruwari admitted the disruption affected the team’s preparations but praised his players for remaining committed and delivering on match day despite the challenges.

The coach also made a direct appeal to the Highlanders board to resolve the salary issue, stressing that the players deserve to be paid for their efforts and reminding the club’s leadership that they have families to support

“The boys, despite not getting adequate training, come out and deliver on match day. I am grateful for their commitment, but the reality is they need to get paid. These are family men,” said Mwaruwari, as cited by The Chronicle.

Highlanders will face Simba Bhora this afternoon and the Bulawayo giants finally had a full week of uninterrupted training ahead of the encounter.