Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
TAKE a bow for Takesure Chiragwi.
And, not just because CAPS United have a four-point lead at the top of the Castle Lager Premiership table. But, simply because of the way he has transformed the Green Machine into a competitive side which is playing with both freedom and clarity.
The five-time champions are chasing their first league title in a decade.
Farai Jere’s pursuit of Chiragwi was both public and relentless.
Sources have told H-Metro that Chiragwi regularly communicates with Charles Mhlauri, his old mentor and inspiration, with the young coach always seeking guidance from the United States-based coach.
In football, results are everything.
And, a look at the CAPS United statistics, at this point of the season, compared to where they were at the same time last year, provides the true indicator of how much Chiragwi has transformed them.
Here are some of the highlights:
CAPS United are top of the table, FOUR points clear of the chasing pack, which is a stunning turnaround from 16th place, just two places off the bottom of the table, after the same number of games last season.
The Green Machine have 22 points, after nine matches this season, which represents a 15-point gain from the mere seven points which they had, after the same number of games, last season.
The 15 points they have gained, this season, is equivalent to winning FIVE more games which, in itself, is quite a massive achievement by Chiragwi and his coaching staff.
After nine games last season, CAPS United had won just two games and now, after the same number of games this season, the Green Machine have won SEVEN games, which represents more than THREE times, the number of games they have won.
The Green Machine were only better than Kwekwe United and Triangle, in terms of their position on the table, after nine games last season and, now, after the same number of games this season, they are better than all the Premiership clubs.
After the first nine games of last season, CAPS United had lost six games and, now, after the same number of games this season, the Green Machine have lost just one game, a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Ngezi Platinum, in a game in which the Green Machine missed a penalty.
CAPS United had scored six goals, in their first nine league games last season and the Green Machine have now scored twelve goals, after the same number of games, this season — a stunning return of double the number of goals scored.
The Green Machine had conceded ten goals, after the first nine games of the season last year and, now, after the same number of matches, they have conceded just four goals.
CAPS United success/failure rate was 25,9 percent last year, which showed that after nine games, they had lost 74,1 percent of the points that were available within that period.
Now, within the same period this year, CAPS United have an impressive success rate of 81,4 percent, which shows that they have lost only 18,6 percent of the points which have been on offer.
It’s a stunning swing of 55,5 percent.
Highlanders, who beat them 1-0 in the first nine games of last season, were beaten 1-2 at Barbourfields, the first time the Green Machine have beaten Bosso at Barbourfields in 15 years.
