HIGHLANDERS FC have been hit by a player strike ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash against Dynamos.

Sources revealed that Bosso players have downed tools over two months’ outstanding salaries and unpaid winning bonuses.

Thursday’s boycott marked the third consecutive day that players have stayed away from training, with frustration reaching breaking point after weeks of unsuccessful engagements with the club’s leadership.

The industrial action has disrupted preparations for the fixture, leaving the technical team facing a race against time to get the squad ready for the weekend encounter.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders executive is understood to have scheduled an emergency meeting on Thursday evening to map out a way forward and address the growing crisis.

This is the second time this season that Highlanders players have boycotted training over unpaid salaries, with the first protest in April.

The latest developments come at a crucial stage of the campaign, with Bosso currently sitting seventh on the league table with 28 points, just one behind sixth-placed Dynamos on 29 points.

The two giants shared the spoils in the reverse fixture after playing out a 2-2 draw at Rufaro Stadium in March.