Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
GIANTS CAPS United are not lowering the bar in their quest to end their Castle Lager Premiership title drought that is drifting towards a decade.
Despite losing some key players during the off-season break, CAPS United have remained buoyant.
Makepekepe, who are now entering their third week of pre-season training, are anticipating an exciting campaign to end a drought that has now stretched from 2016, when they last laid their hands on the silverware.
They have brought on board almost half a dozen players, including Zimbabwe internationals Kundai Benyu and Tanaka Shandirwa, a Congolese midfielder Love Bissila Mabiala, and a Ghanaian goalkeeper Stephen Odai Kwaku.
This was meant to compensate the departure of players like Godknows Murwira, Kingsley Mureremba, veterans Lot Chiwunga, Ralph Kawondera, and goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga.
With the advent of well-resourced sides like Scottland and Simba Bhora, who have been hoarding the cream of the players in the domestic league, the Green Machine technical team finds themselves under pressure to meet the fans’ high expectations.
However, assistant coach Tonderai Marume sounded upbeat despite the disruptions. “As for our fans, we can never determine what they expect, but we all know at the back of our heads that this is CAPS United,” he said.
“Season in, season out, their expectations are high, and we also know that their expectations are high.
“So, every time we prepare, recruit, and select our team, we work in such a way that we get the best team to compete in the league so that we can also match our expectations as the technical team, players, and administration, as well as the owners of the team.
“Our expectations are always high; we are CAPS United; we are regarded as one of the top three teams in the land, and when we do whatever we do to the team, we do it aiming very high so that at the end of the season we will have achieved one or two of our objectives.”
CAPS United ended the season a distant ninth last year.
They lost two Soccer Star of the Year finalists, Murwira and Mureremba, to recently promoted moneybags Scottland, while goalkeeper Mateyaunga moved on to join champions Simba Bhora.
Makepekepe nonetheless managed to retain the bulk of the players in their squad.
“The guys have come back in a very good mood, very good attitude, and the way they have been applying themselves in training.
“I think, as the technical team, we are satisfied with the amount of work they are putting in training. Since you all know that pre-season is the most important phase of the season where players have to be correctly prepared for competition, we are happy we have managed to go through the routines.
“We have managed to bring in almost everyone who is supposed to be there, and I think it is going to be a very exciting season for CAPS United,” said Marume.
Makepekepe are hoping to gauge their progress when they participate in the Harare Mayor’s Cheer Fund Soccer tournament scheduled for Rufaro later this month.
The participating teams include heavyweights CAPS United and Dynamos, along with Scottland, Herentals, Simba Bhora, Yadah, Harare City, and MWOS.
“Of course, we are not going to play so many friendly games. Since this tournament is an eight-team tournament, we are not yet sure how it is going to be formulated.
“Is it going to be played in two groups of four or is it going to be knock-out?
“But the number of games that we play in that tournament will determine where we are in terms of preparation and where we are in terms of the team throughout the season. But it is good; maybe you have seen how other teams worldwide go through their pre-season routines.
“We are very grateful to the City of Harare for coming up with such a tournament because it is one of its kind here in Zimbabwe.
“Harare teams have to battle it out but use it as a way of preparing their teams for pre-season and also preparing their teams for the competition phase,” said Marume.
