Chronicle Editor
Grace Chingoma: Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS midfielder Dominic Mukandi has retraced his footsteps to the team where his career thrived and is set to rejoin CAPS United, the club he dumped at the start of the just-ended 2016 season. The league champions have been shopping on the market as they seek to beef-up their squad ahead of the Champions League campaign in February.They have been linked with Triangle winger Malvin Gaki as well as Dynamos midfielder Brett Amidu. However, none of the deals have been concluded as yet. Mukandi crossed the great divide to join rivals Dynamos hoping his stock would continue to rise. Unfortunately for him, the grass proved not to be greener on the other side with the midfielder’s fortunes taking a deep at the blue half.
He could curse his lucky stars after he missed out on the league medal as CAPS United romped to championship glory. Mukandi, who was arguably one of the best midfielders in the 2015 season, had a season to forget at Dynamos, where he was a pale shadow of the player he was at CAPS United. But The Herald has it on good authority that CAPS United and the player’s handlers are close to inking a deal to bring back the midfielder to the club where he made his name.
A source close to the deal said Mukandi felt it was prudent that he goes back to his old club where he enjoyed some best football in his career so far.
It is believed that he is still a favourite of CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe despite leaving in a huff at the end of the 2015 season.
“His contract with Dynamos is expiring at the end of the month, they have not expressed interest in him yet. But look, his career blossomed at CAPS United. It was good for him to cross to Dynamos, every player has his own ambitions but the grass is not always greener the other side.
“The player believes rejoining CAPS United will boost his career which took a dive at Dynamos, where he had less than 10 starts the whole season. It is the best decision the player would have taken because CAPS United made him what he is today. Another year on the sidelines would be the end of his career,” said the same source.
The player’s handler George Deda could not be reached for comment.
But CAPS UNITED chief executive Cuthbert Chitima yesterday expressed ignorance over the deal and said as a club they are yet to go on the market to shop for players. Chitima said their first port of call is to retain those players whose contracts are coming to an end.
“Personally, I would be surprised that Mukandi wants to come back to CAPS United. I am not saying he is coming or not but I would be surprised. “We are yet to sign any player. If the coach tells us the players that he wants then we will do so, otherwise we are just reading it in the papers that we want so and so players,” said Chitima.
Last week, Chitembwe said he has his targets but will not reveal them to the media for fear of jeopardising the deals.
CAPS United are still training as they fight to keep in shape ahead of the Champions League, which begins mid-February. They will break the periodic training they have been having after their Thursday night award ceremony, where the players who excelled for the club would be honoured.
Chitima said the coach is yet to submit his detailed training programme for the Champions League. The club is mulling the idea of going back to Mozambique for off-season preparations. They will also feature in some friendly matches in the neighbouring country but Chitima said that was still a proposal.
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