CAPS to tour Mozambique

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS United are expected to leave this Friday on a Mozambique tour where they will take part in a four-team tournament against top-flight teams from that country, including league champions Ferroviaro Maputo, in Beira.

The Green Machine will also battle against Ferroviaro Beira and Textafrica for 10 days they would be in the neighbouring country.

CAPS United have been having their pre-season training in the past four weeks and coach Lloyd Chitembwe yesterday said the tour was important in bonding his players into the family that he wants them to be.

Chitembwe said he is going to carry a squad of 25 players.

CAPS are also expected to travel to South Africa, before the season begins, for another training camp where they will play Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits.

“The main idea behind the tour is obviously team building. We will spend time together and we have new players like Archford Gutu who still needs to get to know the other players and there is no better way than this tour,” said Chitembwe.

The team’s first pre-season friendly game was last week against Kabwe Warriors of Zambia at the National Sports Stadium but Chitembwe said there wasn’t much he could read from the game.

“We were satisfied with the fitness levels and now we are integrating tactics. The whole idea behind these preparatory matches is not really to look at the weaknesses as it is too early for that,” he said.

Last week CAPS United signed former Dynamos midfielder Gutu who arrives at a Green Machine who have also added Abbas Amidu, Tafadzwa Rusike, Allen Gahadzikwa, Dennis Dauda, Devon Chafa, Ronald Pfumbidzai, Edmore Sibanda and Cabby Kamhapa into their ranks.

Club president, Farai Jere, has demanded that the Green Machine win the league championship, something they have not won since 2005.

Their rivals, Dynamos, are also expected to travel to Malawi for pre-season training before venturing into Tanzania.

FC Platinum are also reported to be preparing for a pre-season tour of Zambia.

Champions Chicken have already been in Zambia where they took part in a four-team tournament.