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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THE prospects of getting caught up in the relegation matrix this season are turning into a reality by the day for giants CAPS United, who find themselves desperate to start winning games ahead of a tough assignment against former champions Chicken Inn at Bata tomorrow.
The Green Machine have not won a match in their last seven outings, and this has seen them plunging to the bottom half of the table where they will need to summon all their power to ensure they survive relegation.
Makepekepe last won a game on July 15 when they beat new boys Greenfuel 2-0.
Since then, they only managed three draws and four defeats. Their last seven games have yielded a measly three points from a possible 21 and this has been the worst run by any team in the league. Perched in 10th place, they are flirting with possible danger as they sit just three points above the relegation zone going into the last 12 games of the season.
Midfielder Blessing Sarupinda, who scored a brilliant consolation in the 1-2 defeat to FC Platinum in their last game, said Makepekepe needed to work more on scoring.
Five games have been played in the second half of the season and the Green Machine only have one goal to show for their labour in over 450 minutes of Premiership action.
“It’s been really tough for us forwards,” said Sarupinda.
“We haven’t been scoring enough but in this game against Chicken Inn we will try our best to come up with the goals,” said Sarupinda.
Their chief marksman William Manondo, who won the league’s Golden Boot last season, has been a pale reflection of his ultimate best. Manondo has six goals to his name and has found no one to complement his efforts.
But the Green Machine assistant coach Fungai Tostao Kwashi believes injuries that rocked their camp in the last two months dealt a negative impact on their campaign.
At some point, they had up to eight players in the casualty ward but they have since welcomed back the likes of Phineas Bhamusi, Lincoln Mangaira, Ben Musaka, Devon Chafa, Joel Ngodzo and captain Tonderai Mateyaunga.
“It was actually a very bad phase with injuries in the last six to eight weeks,” said Kwashi.
“We had lost about eight guys but slowly they are coming back into the fold. You saw Ian coming back last week and Bamusi as well.
“It has been really tough for us but at the end of the day we just have to keep our heads up, keep on working hard and praying keep pushing forward despite this tough phase that we are going through because of injuries.
“But in football injuries come and go. It’s just a sad thing that we had eight people out at the same time. Remember three weeks back when we went to Kariba, we had to go with a squad of 14 players. We couldn’t get to 18 or 20 because of the injures that we had.
“Hopefully and step by step they are coming back. Ben is now okay and Devon is okay, Kelvin Madzongwe came back this week. He has only been training three days.
“He is not yet 100 percent but he started training. Josta also came back this week, and has had two days training. So, it’s work in progress and we just have to get on with it and staying positive despite the challenges we have had with injuries,” said Kwashi.
Chicken Inn also had their worries during the week with key players George Majika, Shepherd Mhlanga, Richard Hachiro and striker Malvin Hwata doubtful for the trip to Gweru.
The Gamecocks, however, have had a decent season compared to their seasoned rivals. Despite their inconsistencies, Chicken Inn are still in the race for the championship at this stage of the campaign when Makepekepe are marked for possible relegation fights with 26 points from 22 games.
Chicken Inn have 36 points in the bag and are just six points shy of pace-setters Ngezi Platinum Stars, who host new boys Greenfuel at Baobab this afternoon.
Online Reporter