Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
CAPS United coach Ian Bakala and his predecessor Lloyd Chitembwe built a huge reputation as midfield workhorses when they combined to carry the Green Machine to a record-breaking 2004 season, winning the league title and other trophies on offer.
Two decades later, a talented midfielder, who was once good enough to play for Scottish giants Celtic, Kundayi Benyu has picked the same traits in the duo’s coaching careers.
Benyu was signed by Chitembwe but things didn’t work out well for CAPS United under the veteran gaffer and the club chiefs replaced him with Bakala.
Although the Zambian coach didn’t have an ideal start to life at Makepekepe, he seems to have turned things around with two wins in the past two games.
He tinkered things a little bit, changing both the composition and disposition of the team and things appear to be working as CAPS United now sit in mid-table with 16 points in 15 games.
And Benyu has acknowledged the work ethic of both veterans saying “I wouldn’t say too much has changed. They (Chitembwe and Bakala) are both good guys, really good coaches. They both know a lot about the game. They’re both very tough in terms of their work ethic, and they demand a lot of quality during training and games as well. So not too much has changed.”
Benyu said: “Maybe you could say a bit of luck is on our side. There have been minor changes in tactics and personnel but yeah, things are just finally clicking for us that is what I would say, yeah.”
The revived CAPS United side face unbeaten log leaders MWOS at Ngoni Stadium this afternoon.
They know pretty much that they will reduce the gap between the pacesetters and themselves to 12 if they become the first team to burst MWOS’ bubble today.
Benyu expects the match to be tough but believes the mentality of their squad, given they have the momentum from the past two games, can carry their day.
“So now the momentum is with us. A couple of wins, we’re just hoping to continue,” he said.
“Yeah, obviously, like I said, the momentum is with us. We are not really focusing on other teams.
“We mostly concentrate on ourselves and MWOS whoever they are, we’ve heard, obviously, like you said, they’re unbeaten in the league so far this season,” he said
“So yeah, it should be a tough game for them as well as it is going to be for us. But yeah, we’re going there with the right mind set and hoping to collect three points.”
