Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
CAPS United are not really back in the hunt for the league championship, but there is no denying that optimism has found its way back into the Green Machine after their performance earned them a 2-0 win over Manica Diamonds on Saturday.
The reassuring victory at Sakubva placed a full stop to their run of six games without a win, and it didn’t matter whether the three points dragged them back into contention for the title or not.
Since taking over the helm at the start of the season, coach Takesure Chiragwi, who spent years at CAPS United as a player, has seen and lived both the good and the bad aspects of what it means to be the man in charge at this club. And at Sakubva, Chiragwi took the lead in saluting the very fans who had turned against him the week before.
Chiragwi believes the freshening-up he did during the current half-season transfer window has given his team a new dimension. Veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi, brought to replace Wallace Magalane between the posts, seems to have brought the solidity needed in that Number 1 position.
The Warriors goalie kept his second clean sheet in three games against Manica Diamonds on Saturday, a week after he had kept it tight against Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Another mid-season edition, Chris Mugalu scored his second goal in three outings.
“I think the new guys are really giving us the balance that we have been lacking before,” said Chiragwi.
“It always feels good to win games like what we have done against Manica Diamonds.
“You know football is about margins. We haven’t been completing that full step in our games.
“We haven’t been lucky in some instances, but the bottom line is that we haven’t been good enough.
“It’s been a long battle to restore confidence in my boys.
“You know we have gone through a lot over the past 10, 11 games, where wins have been eluding us.
“I have a feeling that things can get back to normal and we can start flying again.
“Of course, it’s a process, and we will continue talking up the boys at training and ensure that they begin to see things positively.
“From the way things have been unfolding, I think there has been a lot of positivity in all departments. In the last three games, we have picked five points and scored five goals. “We hope to continue on that trajectory and see how everything goes. Wins always give you confidence, and what we have to do now is take the momentum into our next fixture and see how things go.”
Chiragwi isn’t confused with the bitter-sweet relationship he is currently having with the fans with those years he spent as a CAPS United player coming in handy to help him understand their behaviour.
“The fans are the most important stakeholders of the game,” he said.
“I value them always. My duty is to make them happy; the boys’ duty is also to make them happy.
“There is no way we can run away from that. We know we haven’t been doing well, and naturally, the fans get disappointed.
“We salute them for their loyalty, and that’s why you always see us trying to engage with them after matches. It feels good to see them happy, and we will try to always do that.”
