Online Reporter
Mugove Chigada-Deputy Sports Editor
CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi admits his charges must recapture the spirit of their 2004 and 2005 title-winning days if they are to make a significant impact in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Chiragwi, who is rebuilding CAPS United after leaving Ngezi Platinum Stars recently, knows what it takes to win the league title both as a player and coach.
He was part of the 2004 generation, which included the likes of Ashley Rambanepasi, Ian Bakala, Laughter Chilembe, Leonard Tsipa and Joseph Kamwendo, among others.
After winning the title back-to-back, CAPS United have gone on to win the title again in 2016 under coach Lloyd Chitembwe while Chiragwi won his own title as coach at Ngezi Platinum Stars in 2023.
If Chiragwi can go on to end the barren spell, he will become the third coach to deliver the league title for CAPS United after Charles Mhlauri and Chitembwe in the 21st century. Before that and after independence, they had also won it in 1996.
“When I look back at 2004, that was definitely a talented group of players that had so much . . . We certainly need to have that, but I would not want to compare that group and this class of 2026,” Chiragwi said in an exclusive interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub.
Asked if the culture he left back then was still the same, he said: “There seems to be not much of a difference. But then, like I said, it’s difficult to compare. It’s like that debate over the classes of 1996 and 2004. You can’t really compare different generations.”
Unlike this generation, CAPS United back then had a number of players that came from their junior ranks, with Chiragwi, Rambanepasi and Tsipa being part of that group.
“Yes, there was a lot coming from the grassroots . . . It’s encouraging that the leadership has started doing that again, and I believe we are in the right direction,” he said.
Chiragwi has faith in the group of players they have assembled going into the new season.
Players that he reunited with from Ngezi include Mcdonald Makuwe, Talent Chamboko, Nyasha Gurende, Richard Hachiro, Kudzai Chigwida, Obrey Chirinda and Delic Murimba.
Some of the players they have signed include Bret Amidu, Lloyd Njaliwa (Malawi), Chawanangwa Kaonga (Malawi), Wallace Magalane and Davison Marowa.
This adds to the likes of Tanaka Shandirwa and Kundai Benyu, players that were already in their books.
On paper, this is a team that has left a number of CAPS United faithful in dreamland.
“The effort to try and integrate these players is ongoing. Yes, they are players that came to play at CAPS United together for the first time, but you will realise that most of them have played together elsewhere or are already friends.
“But the most important thing is for them to have an understanding and get used to the environment,” Chiragwi said.
The question is, will Njaliwa and Kaonga be able to light up the stage the way fellow countrymen Kamwendo did back then?
Chiragwi was not giving much on the quality of their foreign-based players but simply expressed confidence they have what it takes to help the team progress.
“We have to work on it as a team and hope we have the right recipe to achieve results and bring out the best out of them. Obviously, the international players will be putting in a lot,” he said.
The 2026 season could be one of the toughest in the history of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Defending champions Scottland under coach Norman Mapeza will be formidable, giants Dynamos and Highlanders have what it takes to come to the party if they are financially stable, newboys HardRock under coach Kelvin Kaindu have made a big statement in the transfer window while former champions FC Platinum and Simba Bhora cannot be ruled out.
Chicken Inn under Tonderai Ndiraya, who won the title for two consecutive seasons with Simba Bhora and Scottland, cannot also be taken lightly.
