Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HE is one of the most decorated men to ever don the green-and-white jersey, a three-time league winner as a player and the only coach to lead CAPS United into the CAF Champions League group stages.
But on the eve of yet another bruising Barbourfields test, Lloyd Chitembwe finds himself limping through a storm of criticism, facing calls to step down from the very fans who once sang his name.
Today, his legacy hangs in the balance.
On his 50th birthday, Chitembwe opened up on his coaching history in an interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub.
He praised some of his mentors, who include Wieslaw Grabowski, Charles Mhlauri and Gavin Hunt.
Chitembwe broke into the Premiership as a player with Darryn T, under Grabowski, in the early 1990s.
He won two back-to-back championships as a player under Charles Mhlauri in 2004 and 2005.
The former defensive linkman also starred under Hunt at Hellenic in South Africa.
However, Chitembwe dropped one catchy statement.
“I have also learnt one important fact of life: The fact that you can lose all you have in the blink of an eye. It is always important to make the best out of the little you have,” he said in June 2021.
He was still at Harare City then, before retracing his roots to CAPS United later that year.
Chitembwe is a CAPS United legend, no doubt, but the gaffer has had a well-documented love-hate relationship with Makepekepe fans.
The situation almost reached boiling point last weekend when fans demanded his head after CAPS United’s 1-2 defeat to Ngezi Platinum Stars at Rufaro Stadium.
True to his 50th birthday statement, Chitembwe now risks destroying a strong legacy that he built at Makepekepe, where he won three league titles as a player and one as a coach.
Chitembwe was part of the trailblazing side that won CAPS United’s first post-independence championship in 1996.
He won two more medals as a player in 2004 and 2005.
In 2016, he clinched the league title as CAPS United coach, a feat no other former Makepekepe player has achieved in the club’s 52-year history.
Chitembwe remains the only coach to lead CAPS United into the CAF Champions League mini-league stage in 2017.
Sadly, just like he said on his 50th birthday, all risks being forgotten in the blink of an eye.
It seems the majority of CAPS United fans do not trust Chitembwe as Makepekepe walk into Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon to face Highlanders in the famous Battle of Cities.
CAPS United have suffered three losses in their opening five matches of the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign.
With one win and one draw, Makepekepe have four points out of a possible 15, a 27 percent mark.
In fact, the ailing Harare giants have been struggling in the last three seasons.
CAPS United finished 11th in 2022 and were just five points above the relegation zone.
In 2023, Makepekepe were eighth, but they were a massive 20 points behind champions Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Last season, they ended ninth and 21 points behind champions Simba Bhora.
Since Chitembwe bounced back at CAPS United on November 8, 2021, after a brief stint at Harare City, Makepekepe have played 106 league matches.
They have managed 33 wins, 35 draws and 38 losses.
They have amassed 134 points out of a possible 318, which translates to a 42,1 percent success rate for Chitembwe, who enjoys massive backing from club owner Farai Jere.
Jere addressed players early last week and read the riot act.
He ordered the players to pull up their socks while appearing to shield Chitembwe from blame.
Jere also admitted publicly that it was difficult for him to fire Chitembwe, especially in the early stages of the season.
However, the club’s followers and former players are increasingly getting worried about the situation at CAPS United.
Club legend Stewart Murisa is one of those who are uneasy.
“First and foremost, we are all worried about the situation at CAPS United and I believe it’s a combination of a few things, the recruitment of players, pre-season training and lack of friendly games,” said Murisa, who won the 1996 Soccer Star of the Year award with Makepekepe.
“The quality of players and also the leadership, which includes the technical team, are also an issue.
“The fans are justified to do what they did last weekend. CAPS United are a big team and they have been starved of trophies for a long time.
“Maybe it’s time for a change and not only the coach. The coach may be the last they change; there is a lot that needs to change before changing the coach.”
Chitembwe has in recent years been accused of recruiting aged players.
In January last year, he made headlines after signing three players with a combined age of 105.
Lot Chiwunga (37), Bruce Kangwa (35) and Ralph Kawondera (33) joined a CAPS United side that already had the likes of William Manondo (32), Devon Chafa (33), Phineas Bamusi (33) and Rodwell Chinyengetere, who turned 36 in March last year.
Chinyengetere is now 37 and is still starting in a line-up that also includes the likes of Kangwa and Bamusi.
Another former player, who refused to be named, said the club now needs “fresh ideas”.
“The team has remained stagnant since 2017 when they played in the CAF Champions League mini-league. The club now needs new ownership and fresh ideas. Some of the staff at the club is outdated,” he said.
Jere has been CAPS United’s major shareholder since 2015 when he took over from Twine Phiri.
Nhamo Tutisani holds minority shares and is rarely involved in the day-to-day affairs of the club.
Prominent CAPS United fan Raymond “Mawaya” Kapondoro understands the feelings of fellow supporters, but spoke against violence.
“We should not confront the coach, it’s wrong because there are proper channels to use,” he said. “But, in the same vein, supporters want results, they don’t survive on past glory.”
CAPS United have conceded six times in five matches and go into today’s clash against Highlanders on the back of two consecutive defeats, against TelOne and Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Assistant coach Tonderai Marume admitted the team has not performed according to expectations.
“But, like in the previous seasons, we usually pick our form when we play against big teams,” said Marume. “We have been preparing well since Tuesday and we can tell from the preparations that the players are geared up.
“We want to make sure we get a good result and then we can move on from there. Results have not been coming our way — two games without a win — so this game is very important to the CAPS United family.”
Interestingly, CAPS United have not won a league match against Highlanders at Barbourfields since May 3, 2015, when they edged their rivals 1-0.
Bosso go into this match on the back of three consecutive draws.
The Bulawayo giants have suffered one defeat, against MWOS on the opening week, but they have one win against promoted side Kwekwe United.
