CAPS promise to do better

Makepekepe, who had hoped to mount a serious challenge for the championship this season, are currently in 10th place in the table after 14 games, 13 points shy of the log leaders Highlanders.

With five wins, four draws and five defeats, Mironga conceded the club hasn’t performed as well as they would have wanted in light of the heavy preparations in the pre-season.

Makepekepe were the busiest before the commencement of the race, beefing up their squad with a number of new signings and strengthening their technical team by bringing in Northern Irish mentor Sean Connor.

They even took their preparations a gear up by taking part in the invitational tournament in South Africa where they played Mamelodi Sundowns and Black Leopards.

But they find their campaign in a bad shape midway through the season.

“It’s only a bad start in which I feel luck was not on our side. The positive thing is that the team is playing good football. It’s only that we are not scoring enough,” said Mironga.

CAPS have suffered the consequences of a blunt frontline, which has seen the strikers Evans Gwekwerere, Clive Kawinga and Washington Pakamisa struggling to find the back of the nets.

And it’s interesting that goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda has contributed the highest number of goals than any of the forwards after scoring from set pieces.

Sibanda is the club’s joint top scorer with Rahman Kutsanzira on three goals apiece.

“We cannot say we are going wrong on any aspect but that is what football is like.

“Sometimes you prepare thoroughly and make a big investment but that is not a guarantee that you will succeed. It also needs luck in sports and if that element isn’t there then results may not come the way you would like even if you play well,” said Mironga.

There have also been concerns raised by the club’s fans that the technical team, which comprise Connor Lloyd Chitembwe, Joel Luphahla, Kennedy Nagoli, Brenna Msiska and Richard Tswatswa, is blotted and not united on decision-making.

The bad blood between striker Evans Gwekwerere and coach Chitembwe has also been hogging the limelight while skipper David Sengu has since been shown the exit for leading a revolt at the club.

Mironga said there were no financial worries at the Green Machine and challenged the players to fight hard in the second half of the season.

“To be frank, we don’t owe any player anything. All the payments are up to date at the moment and players, like all employees who get their dues every month-end, they just have to do their job well when they got onto the pitch. I think there is enough motivation in wearing CAPS United’s green and white jersey.

“Playing for CAPS United is a platform to advance your career as a footballer. We even brought in Connor to expose them to the other side of how things are done out there so that they do not have problems when they go abroad for trials.

“But moving forward we would need to strengthen our juniors for the future,” he said.

“It’s very expensive but it will also be good to have three or four youngsters graduating into the seniors teams each season,” said Mironga.

The Premiership programme is currently on break but CAPS United will play arch-rivals Dynamos next week in the eagerly awaited Harare derby.