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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe feels his team is in a good space to collect maximum points for the first time in five years against defending champions FC Platinum in a top of the table clash set for the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Green Machine are walking with a spring in their step following a brilliant start to the season. They have wins over Manica Diamonds (2-0), ZPC Kariba (1-0) and Black Rhinos (2-0) while playing out a goalless draw against Ngezi Platinum Stars in their opening four games.
But FC Platinum, who they date this Sunday, have been a real stumbling block. Since August 2017, when they came from behind to claim a 2-1 win at Rufaro, the Harare giants are still waiting for their big day against the platinum miners.
They have the momentum at the moment but Chitembwe yesterday revealed they will not be carried away by their good take-off since the season was still young.
“I think, in as far as we know, all the games that we have played were important matches, obviously in the sense that there were points at stake. I am extremely happy with the way we have managed all the games that we have played,” he said after the team’s training at the Standard Chartered Bank Sports Club yesterday.
“But all the same I think this time around it’s slightly different in the sense that we are playing a very structured team, a team with a lot of different qualities and at the same time a team that has a clearly defined way of play.
“On the same breath, I am sure we are equally in the same situation that they are in and, on a good day if we are able to express ourselves well and we don’t succumb to expectations, I am sure we can stand a very good chance against FC Platinum because we equally have our own qualities which are very unique. I have very strong belief in the team that we have. It looks like it will be a very interesting match,” said Chitembwe.
The last meeting between the two rivals ended in a 2-2 draw at the National Sports Stadium last year as the Green Machine battled from a two-goal first half deficit and salvaged a point at home.
However, Makepekepe have enjoyed better head-to-head overall, in the last 10 seasons that FC Platinum have participated in the domestic topflight.
The Green Machine have five wins and three losses, while 12 games have ended in draws. CAPS United have started the current season with so much promise.
Chitembwe is a keen admirer of experience and so far, he seems to have nailed it with his players often having to rely on that strength to get the results.
In their matches against Manica Diamonds and Black Rhinos, Makepekepe wrapped the job in the opening half while managing the second stanzas well.
And against ZPC Kariba, they left it late with Chitembwe showing his tactical prowess when managing to get the points in a game the Kariba outfit showed some great will and intent.
So far, Chitembwe is excited by the glimpses shown by his team and yesterday he said he can only hope to get more consistent performances from his charges going forward.
“I can only be happy about the contribution of each and every member of the team considering the fact that the season is still in its infancy. “These are early days and one can only imagine if we go up to 10-11 games because sometimes matches make players better and they make teams better.
“So if these boys are capable of giving us what we have seen in the first four-five games, one can only imagine what happens after 10-12 games.
“I think they have shown that they have the capacity; the potential is there obviously but what is important is the consistency. This is the difference between a top-top player from just a top player.
“A top player can give you moments but a very top player will obviously give you consistency and this is the expectation because the boys have done so well in the first four games. But it’s still a long way to go and we expect them to give us the consistency during the course of the season,” said Chitembwe.
Makepekepe are currently dictating the pace early in the season after landing on top of the table last week with a 2-0 win over Black Rhinos. They have excited club president Farai Jere, who yesterday hinted at increasing winning bonuses after visiting them at their training session in Harare.
“At the end of the day it’s down to those small things; it’s not about doing very big things and him coming is a very important step.
“I am sure it gives the players a new breath of fresh air, just to see the club president coming here and sharing the way he feels about the game and the way he feels about the contribution of each and every single member of the team I think it only gives confidence not only to the players but everyone associated to the football club. So it was a very good piece of good leadership,” said Chitembwe.
The Green Machine have 10 points in the bag after four games and FC Platinum are breathing down their necks with nine points.
The platinum miners sprung back to winning ways last week with a come from behind 2-1 in over visiting Bulawayo Chiefs at the National Sports Stadium. They had suffered their first loss of the season the previous match when going down to Highlanders by the same margin at Barbourfields.
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