Eight Zimbabwean footballers from the Achieford Gutu Boys Academy, who have been stuck in Dubai with no return tickets following a nightmarish trip organized by the former Dynamos midfielder, returned home this morning.

The youngsters touched down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport at 11am.

It was an emotional moment as relatives welcomed back the young footballers, who were stuck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with upaid hotel bills which led to the confistication of their passports.

It had to take the intervention of the  Zimbabwean community in the UAE —led by fitness coach Shingi Mungwini, as well as the the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) to the facilitate their repatriation, as Gutu vanished after misusing the funds for the trip —before asking for help from the parents of the boys to repatriate them.

SRC Director-General Eltah Nengomasha,  speaking after the boys’ arrival, said the sports regulatory body reacted when the story came out.

“We did proffer recommendations when we saw the issue circulating on social media and mainstream media,” said Nengomasha.

“I was talking to some of the boys, some were asking me for business cards and I have already given them, as some of them want to start careers in sport.

“It is our sincere hope that there are lessons we have learnt as the regulators of sport on how we can protect our athletes from future incidents of this nature,” she added.