CAPS move up rankings

Chipo Sabeta Senior Sports Reporter
DESPITE bowing out of the CAF Champions League in the group stages, CAPS United have made giant strides on the CAF Club rankings by moving from 51st to 24th position and the Green Machine are now Zimbabwe’s highest-ranked side.

Makepekepe eliminated five-time African champions TP Mazembe in this year’s CAF Champions League and also beat another five-time champion Zamalek of Egypt in Group B. The Green Machine are the only Zimbabwean club in the top 50.

Coach Lloyd Chitembwe attributed his team’s rise to hard work. “It’s down to hard work, that’s all I can say. I want to pay tribute to the players and my assistants for a great job. Even administratively, everyone played a big role,’’ the coach said.

“Supporters deserve credit for backing us in good and bad times. I am sure they also obtained lessons from the way other teams backed their team. The truth is that we worked hard for our improvement in terms of preparing for matches and grinding results when the world underrated us.’’

Chitembwe said this year’s campaign was a learning curve for CAPS United. “Everything has a starting point. It’s the reality of football. Football is practical and we are not taking anything for granted from the things we experienced,’’ he said.

“If we can move 25 places by merely playing in the mini league, what will stop us from improving next time? Who knows, we might be in the top ten if we do well next time.

“There will surely be an improvement in terms of our exposure as coaches, our administrators and the whole family at large.’’

TP Mazembe still top the rankings with 50 points while Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek are on second and third respectively.

Club Rankings

1 Mazembe (DRC)

2 Al-Ahly (Egypt )

3 Zamalek (Egypt )

4 Etolie du Sahel (Tunisia)

5 Sundowns South Africa

6 Al-Hilal (Sudan )

7 USM Alger (Algeria)

8 Esperance (Tunisia)

9 Wydad Casablanca