Tadious Manyepo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi has made it clear that the giants’ priority in today’s delicate league match against Scottland is to break into the top four rather than derail the latter’s charge at the championship.
The two Harare teams face off in what should be a tense fixture at Rufaro.
Scottland will be keen to cut the gap between them and leaders Hardrock to five points after today’s re-arranged encounter.
But they face a Makepekepe hurdle which will be tough to surmount given the theories surrounding it.
The reverse fixture at the National Sports Stadium was again immersed in controversy after CAPS United lost 2-0 and they eventually fired their goalkeeper Wallace Magalane.
And the tension going into today’s fixture is palpable, but Chiragwi said he isn’t paying attention to anything else outside his technical jurisdiction.
He knows Scottland are gunning to defend the league title, which is quickly slipping off their palms.
But for him, taking Makepekepe into the top four is all that matters.
The Green Machine are only a point of fourth-placed Dynamos, and they will jump over them with a win against Scottland going into the last two games of the season.
“Yeah, football is always about expression. Football, the pressure that we have in football, it’s about playing to win. Every time we prepare to win every game that we play,” said Chiragwi.
“Though football has got three results, the most precious and important result is for us to win, rather than the other two results — to draw and to lose a match.
“Our preparation, obviously, every time is more directed towards winning, and we always pray for that. We always make sure that our preparation is for the guys to do well in all aspects of the game so that we can come up as the better team of the day.
“We are looking to get the maximum points against Scottland and break into the top four.
“If you do well tactically, with and without the ball, in transition, I think we can do better and take our chances that come our way. Playing games like this, you know, they are fighting for the championship, we are also fighting to get into the top four, so it’s going to be a very exciting game, and the guys know what is at stake, they know exactly what (is required).”
Scottland are fresh from a crashing exit from the CAF Champions League where they lost 3-0 to Angola’s Petro de Luanda last Friday.
They were carrying a 2-0 lead from the first leg but put up a nightmarish show in Luanda to bow out.
The Mabvuku team responded by firing coach Norman Mapeza.
Former Warriors captain Peter Ndlovu has taken over on an interim basis and will take charge of Mabviravira for the first time against the Green Machine.
CAPS United will be without the injured quartet of Tanaka Shandirwa, Tinotenda Meke, Washington Arubi and Chinga Chitoshi.
