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Norman Mapeza set to be handed the baton should the Northern Irishman fail.
The Herald can reveal that Connor pleaded with the CAPS United directors, Twine Phiri and Farai Jere, at a crisis meeting in Harare three weeks ago, to be given three games to turn around the fortunes of the misfiring Green Machine.
The CAPS United leadership had decided to hand all the club’s technical responsibilities to Lloyd Chitembwe with the Northern Irishman assuming a ceremonial role in the coaching set-up.
That move followed the team’s lifeless performance in the 1-1 draw against Harare City, who scored a late equaliser, at the National Sports Stadium.
But Connor insisted that he would have transformed the Green Machine into a winning team in three games, and was given the benefit of the doubt.
However, CAPS United lost 0-2 to Gunners at Lafarge and were also handed a 0-1 loss by Monomotapa at Rufaro.
Now, only one game remains in the revival package crafted by Connor and the CAPS United leadership have already started looking at Plan B, in the event that their worst fears come true.
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Interestingly, Mapeza has emerged as their choice as they seek to breathe life into the team.
The former Warriors captain had a stint with the Green Machine as Charles Mhlauri’s assistant in 2004, helping lay the foundation for one of the most dominant teams to emerge in this country since the turn of the millennium.
That Super Green Machine lost just one game in the league, at home versus Highlanders in a seven-goal thriller, and did not lose any match on the road.
Sources said the CAPS United directors want to give Mapeza the responsibility to take the Green Machine back to the good days of that era.
“They are interested in him and the directors are trying to see how best they can persuade him to join the ship especially now that everything is not going in CAPS United’s way,” said the sources.
“Remember Norman began his coaching career at the club as an assistant and it wouldn’t be difficult for him to bounce back into the CAPS United dressing room.
“But there are a lot of sticking points as Norman’s hands are tied by his contract with Zifa.”
The Herald also understands that Mapeza is not particularly eager to jump onto the ship, which has a bloated technical team, and would want his own choice of backroom staff.
Mapeza is understood to be close to Chitembwe and the two grew up together in Chitungwiza and played in the same Darryn T side in the 1990s before they moved to Poland.
Mapeza, however, dismissed claims that he was talking to the CAPS United leadership as “mere rumours’’ saying he refuted similar claims last week when he had been linked with the FC Platinum job.
There was speculation early last month that the former Monomotapa gaffer would be joining Gunners as head coach.
“I am still to speak to anybody about coaching any team and it is all rumours,” Mapeza said.
“I remember that last Friday somebody called me and asked me whether it is was true that I would be joining FC Platinum.
“So, I treat all these as rumours and as coaches I know that we will be constantly linked to so many clubs from time to time.”
CAPS United director, Jere, acknowledged the pedigree of Mapeza, who won the league title with Monomotapa in 2008, but refused to be drawn into discussing whether his team had immediate plans to engage the coach.
“Norman Mapeza is a good coach, it’s a general fact that we cannot deny, but he is still attached to the national team,” said Jere.
The Herald, however, has been informed that Mapeza’s links to the national team are being liquidated and he will have no strings attached to the Warriors through an exit package to be agreed by Zifa and the youthful coach.
Details have also emerged how Connor ended up taking up the CAPS United job in a surprise move at the beginning of the year.
His Zimbabwean agents, who are based in Ireland, were looking for an African adventure for the Northern Irishman and got in touch with CAPS United president, Phiri, starting the negotiations that culminated in Connor being given the job.
The CAPS United house is divided with some of the fans blaming Chitembwe, amid unsubstantiated reports of a conspiracy against Connor, for the team’s poor run.
But Chitembwe, who told his players on Saturday that he would make a big decision within 24 hours, has maintained that he is too professional to be involved in sabotaging the team that pays his salary.
Chitembwe, the most decorated player in CAPS United’s history with three league championship winners’ medal, insists that he remains committed to working for the Green Machine.
Other fans question why the directors decided to bring a fresh man on board, and give him full control of the technical team despite his limited knowledge of Zimbabwean football, especially against a background of Chitembwe’s brilliant run with the team when he was handed the challenge to save it from relegation last season.
A resurgent Green Machine played with a swagger, in the closing stages of last season, and even held FC Platinum to a 1-1 draw at Mandava, a result that had a huge bearing in the outcome of the championship race.
The third group believe there is need for a fresh man with new ideas at CAPS United and, Mapeza, fits that puzzle.
Some even claim the team has been cursed and on Saturday, when a ball destined to go home suddenly changed course and drifted wide, that group of fans claimed that was evidence to back their claims.
CAPS United’s next match is a league tie against a Quelaton side that has won its last two league matches, including beating both Harare City and Gunners, who took points from the Green Machine.
None of the CAPS United infield players has scored a goal this season with their only goal coming from the penalty spot, converted by goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda.
CAPS United are still searching for their first victory on the pitch and their full set of points came via the boardroom when they were awarded the abandoned match against Motor Action.
In the opening match they managed a goalless draw against Shabanie away at Maglas before losing 0-2 to Chicken Inn.
They went on to draw 1-1 with Harare City, slumped to a 0-2 defeat to Gunners and on Saturday they lost 0-1 to Monomotapa at Rufaro.
It is increasingly becoming difficult to imagine when CAPS United players, who haven’t scored a goal in open play in 450 minutes, will finally find the target and win a match.
The fans have even invoked the spirit of their late player Blessing “Yogo Yogo” Makunike — who died along with two other players Gary Mashoko and Shingirayi Arlon and two fans, on their way from a match in Bulawayo in 2004 — to help them through the stormy waters.
It is now common to hear the Green Machine fans singing “Yogo Yogo huya uchangete vana vako,” at their matches.
Online Reporter