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Grace Chingoma Sports Reporter
CAPS United coach Mark Mathe has pleaded for patience from the club’s chiefs and supporters and believes he can turn the Green Machine into the kind of force the Makepekepe family expect the team to be.
Mathe has found himself under pressure after some indifferent results by CAPS United left the club’s leadership questioning whether he has the pedigree to lead the country’s third biggest club.
It got worse for Mathe and his lieutenants — Brenna Msiska and Fungai Kwashi — on Sunday when CAPS United blew a 2-1 lead and were eventually bundled out of the Chibuku Super Cup after penalties by ZPC Kariba.
While Mathe blamed the defeat on lack of concentration and character by his players, club president Farai Jere laid the blame squarely on the technical department and revealed that Mathe and his crew had now been given a two-match ultimatum.
The tall former Highlanders coach yesterday, however, pleaded for more time and called for patience and said there is need for everyone to believe that they will soon get it right.
Mathe is also hoping that former skipper Method Mwanjali who is expected to start playing next month and is currently working on his fitness will bring some much needed stability in the team.
The CAPS United coach could not be drawn into discussing much about the two-match ultimatum but said he would take each game as it comes and would only focus on next Thursday’s match after they have played Flame Lily at Lafarge on Saturday.
“Yes, the people have the right to be angry and I ask for patience. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and comment about how we will perform in the next two games. We are facing Flame Lily this weekend and I hail their coach Chiwenga (Backlyfield ) who has managed to turn around the performance of the team. I expect a tough game but we need to start picking maximum points.
“Technically, we need to start picking points here in Harare. We are not scoring as many goals as we would want and I would attribute it to pressure” Mathe said.
Mathe reckoned that they shot themselves in the foot when they failed to progress to the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup after seemingly doing enough to win the game.
“As a technical man I would say the Cup game we played well but couldn’t convert the chances we had. If we had taken our chances we would have scored three or four goals and avoid penalties.
“I have spoken to the players and they understand everything and the need to work extra hard. We all learn the hard way and I am sure after the weekend defeat which still hurts and a bitter pill to swallow everyone would want to be part of a victorious team,” he said.
Despite their bad patch Mathe said he still believes in the capacity of his players.
“The second half of the season all teams are tougher but my players are hungry for success and even everyone who saw our Chibuku Cup performance saw that you cannot afford to perform like that and end up losing.
“Coaching is a hazard, it’s a pressure job, but what is important is how you plan and how you strategise and also hope God will be on our side,” Mathe said.
Meanwhile, CAPS United are probing the matter in which their skipper Hardlife Zvirekwi refused to take to the field for the second half of their match against ZPC Kariba after his teammates had blamed him for failing to defend well and allow striker Leonard Fiyado to score the visitor’s opener.
Zvirekwi reportedly did not take the accusations lightly and went straight home, forcing the coaches into a substitution at the start of the second half with Takudzwa Mahori replacing him.
Mathe could only say the club was attending to the case.
“Something actually happened but it is being dealt with and the club will issue a press statement once the matter is finalised.”
Online Reporter