Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHILE much of the attention has been angled at their old city rivals Dynamos and their struggles, it has barely been noticeable that CAPS United have also slid into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League’s dire straits.
DeMbare are in a lowly 17th place and very much in danger of being demoted while Makepekepe had seemed to be on a revival mission when Zambian coach Ian Bakala arrived in May to replace the long-serving Lloyd Chitembwe.
But after a promising start to his tenure as coach, Bakala who starred for the championship-winning CAPS United side in 2004, has seen the Premiership giants slide back into the relegation matrix. Their latest defeat, a 2-0 loss to Yadah Stars at Rufaro last Sunday was CAPS United’s 11th of the season — the same as Dynamos with Bakala’s men having won just three games more than DeMbare. CAPS United have in the last month scrapped a mere four points from a possible 15 points in their last five league outings, plunging the club into a full-blown crisis.
And now they are perilously clinging onto 12th place with just 28 points, one above Manica Diamonds who are third from the bottom.
Resultantly murmurs of pressure have grown louder on Bakala with some of the club’s fans questioning whether the former Chipolopolo midfielder has the coaching pedigree to lift CAPS United into safety. Bakala’s tenure at Zambian side Nkana ended dismally after a poor start, and his subsequent brief stint at Forest Rangers culminated in the club’s relegation from the MTN Super League. In his 15 games at the helm, Bakala has secured six wins, four draws and five losses.
While he has accrued 22 of the team’s total 28 points (78.6 percent), his overall points haul from a possible 45 translates to a worrying 48.8 percent win-rate, a statistic that falls desperately short of what is required for survival.
The urgency of their predicament cannot be overstated. This Saturday, Bakala leads his beleaguered squad against another wounded lion — FC Platinum — when they travel to Mandava. Four-time champions FC Platinum are smarting from their own 0-2 defeat by resurgent Triangle at Gibbo.
It is a match, neither team can afford to lose with FC Platinum seeking a smash and grab mission on the title.
Despite the alarm bells and the growing pressure on him, Bakala cast a calm figure and told Zimpapers Sport that he was confident that his side will soon overcome their poor form.
He also blamed injuries for CAPS United’s slump. “Look, when I took this job in May, we were 15th and staring down the barrel. The situation is still serious, we are back in the relegation zone, but I am not blind to the improvements we are making,’’ Bakala said.
“What people on the outside don’t see is the injury crisis. For a month now, it’s been a new player every match.
“Players coming in and out of the team due to injuries makes us unbalanced. The fight is still there, and once we have a full squad, I am confident we will climb.”
He also acknowledged the pressure that has been coming CAPS United’s way.
“The pressure is getting to everyone and mistakes are happening.
“Six goals in three games is not the CAPS United way. It doesn’t help that I haven’t been able to pick the same back four twice because of these injuries.
“We will go back, work on the basics, and be harder to beat in the next fixture. That is a promise to the fans,” added Bakala.
