CAPS have it all

and, if the Green Machine’s performance in the first three games is a true reflection of how they will perform at Rufaro this season, then this marathon is theirs to lose.
For even the football gods appear to be in their corner and seemingly want the red-hot Green Machine to finally end half-a-dozen years of waiting for the biggest trophy on the domestic football scene.
Three wins, in as many games at Rufaro, have propelled CAPS United to the top of the Premiership table and they have done it with a lot of style with an attacking spirit that has harvested 14 goals.
If CAPS United are to maintain their ruthlessness in their Rufaro fortress, then it’s difficult to see them losing this championship race in a season where even the people who drafted the fixture programme appear to have had a green heart. Makepekepe’s next league match is against newboys Blue Ribbon and that is also set for either Rufaro or Gwanzura with hopes clearly high that the Green Machine will make it four wins in four matches.
Week Five will bring a home date, at Rufaro, against Black Mambas while the following week, the Green Machine will again be at home against Chicken Inn, before a Week Seven away date against champions Motor Action certain to be held at Rufaro again.
Then CAPS United will host FC Platinum, at Rufaro, before making their first trip, outside the capital, for a date against Highlanders at Barbourfields in Week Nine.
Interestingly, CAPS United will then play their next nine league matches at Rufaro, before leaving the capital in Week 19, for a date against Masvingo United at Mucheke and then returning to Rufaro for a tie against Kiglon.
In its first 20 league matches this season, CAPS United will be in the capital in 18 league matches, with all of them – save for the Blue Ribbon game likely to be held at Gwanzura – set for Rufaro. After their Week Nine date against Bosso at Barbourfields, CAPS United will return to the familiar hunting grounds of Rufaro for a tie against Hwange before an away match, the following week, against Kiglon, at the same venue.
Then Masvingo United will come to town, again at Rufaro, for a date against the Green Machine in Week 12 before CAPS United face Monomotapa, who will be at home, in their next league match at Rufaro in Week 13.
Week 14 will bring the big one, the Harare Derby between CAPS United and Dynamos, but – with the Green Machine having certainly played all but one of their league matches at Rufaro by then, chances are that they could have taken their points tally to over the 30-point mark. After their Harare Derby date, CAPS United will be away the following week, also at Rufaro, against Gunners in Week 15, while Week 16 will bring a reverse fixture against Chando Kupisa, with CAPS United being the home team, again at Rufaro.
Week 17 will be the reverse fixture of the Harare Derby, with DeMbare being the home team now, and although the Green Machine will be away, there will be the home comforts that come with playing at Rufaro.
A home fixture will follow the following week, Week 18, against Monomotapa for Makepekepe at Rufaro before they make only their second visit, outside the capital in 19 league matches, for a date against Masvingo United at Mucheke.
But Week 20 will quickly bring the home comforts of Rufaro once again, for a tie against Kiglon, before the real deal starts, for the Green Machine, in a tough final 10 matches where they will play away in Hwange, Zvishavane, Shabanie, Chicken Inn and in Bulawayo against Saints.
If CAPS United maintain the impressive goal-scoring form they have shown at Rufaro so far, chances are that they can possibly make it eight games, eight wins and 24 points, with their first eight league matches set for the same venue. The test will be against the Mighty Bulls in Week Seven and the Green Machine will be desperate to make up for the 2-4 mauling suffered at the hands of the champions in a game that caused a diplomatic row between CAPS United and Dynamos with all sorts of allegations flying around.
But after the Mighty Bulls defeated Dynamos 2-0 at Rufaro on Sunday, the CAPS United camp must have been watching from a distance, probably saying isn’t it the same losing margin that we also suffered at the hands of Motor Action at the National Sports Stadium last year?
The CAPS United/FC Platinum game will be interesting in Week Eight but the Green Machine will have the advantage of a home tie, in this duel, before their trip to Bulawayo for a date against Bosso.
After that, CAPS United fans should fancy their team’s chances of maximum points at Rufaro against Hwange, Kiglon, Masvingo United and Monomotapa, in consecutive matches home and away, before the big Harare Derby against Dynamos in Week 14.
It’s all looking good for CAPS United right now and, if they can keep playing as well as they have done in the first three games at Rufaro, they have a good chance to build a solid foundation for a successful challenge for the championship. For by the time the tricky trips outside Harare will come, after 20 games, they could have found the insurance points to win the league.