Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi said the Green Machine are focused on turning around their season, which has suffered numerous blows in recent weeks.
Makepekepe started the term in a flash, topping the standings for larger parts of the first half of the marathon, but they have, of late, hit a rough patch after winning just one game in their last eight fixtures.
That abrupt loss of form has seen them dropping down to fourth, seven points behind Premier Soccer League leaders Scottland who are on 40 points after 19 games.
Chiragwi has even come under serious scrutiny, with fans putting aiming jibes at him following a spate of disappointing results, including the latest 2-1 defeat at the hands of Herentals College last Saturday.
But the former Ngezi Platinum Stars coach has remained calm in the middle of all the storms, exuding confidence that CAPS United will still come good.
The Green Machine hosts basement-side Triangle at Rufaro tomorrow in a game that Chiragwi is earmarking to re-launch Makepekepe’s charge.
“Look, football is always like that. You can pick good form, you can drop form; it’s all part of the game,” said Chiragwi.
“I think what is important at the moment is to concentrate and remain focused on the job at hand.
“We have gone back to the drawing board and realised where we need to make up. The boys are really eager to redeem themselves as well. That is the most inspiring part about the team right now. I am seeing belief; I am seeing hunger and everything else.
“I am seeing a group of players who have the zeal and the enthusiasm to reawaken and fight again. We are never far off the pace. But we need to just take it one game at a time.
“We are facing Triangle, which is a tricky team given that they are down there on the table. That means they will be ready to fight. They know they can still survive relegation, and that makes them very dangerous to play against.
“You know in football, luck also counts. Triangle is not a bad team, as their position on the log would suggest. There are games that they have played where you would clearly see that this team is just unlucky.
“They have never been lacking in terms of effort, so to say, but luck hasn’t been on their side.” Chiragwi’s CAPS United can also bank on the return to full fitness of strikers Obriel Chirinda and Alleny Mukombedzi.
“It’s been a long road for the two strikers to recover. But I am happy they are both back to full fitness now,” said Chiragwi.
“You know it’s always good to have all your players fit and ready for the next match. We have been unfortunate not to have two of our most reliable goal scorers in the team.
“But overall, we haven’t been doing well as a team. It’s a team issue, and we believe we have now addressed all the flaws which we have been showing in recent weeks.
“We are fully focused on the match against Triangle this Saturday. That is what’s in our minds for now. We haven’t won a match that we haven’t yet played, but we are ready for Triangle.”
