admin
Petros Kausiyo and Grace Chingoma
IT might be off-season in the domestic Premiership, but giants CAPS United are not resting on their laurels with the Green Machine sealing deals to bring on board defenders Ronald Pfumbidzai and Dennis Dauda as they seek to bolster their 2016 squad.
CAPS United have been undergoing a major transformation since they embarked on a management change and not only have they strengthened their administrative structures to reflect the professionalism which the club’s directors yearn for, but they have also sought to ensure they have a competitive outfit that challenges for major honours and churns out talented players.
Makepekepe completed a trophyless season this year, but they took some consolation in the arrival of Lloyd Chitembwe who helped them to regain confidence and make a strong finish on the log standings in which they edged Triangle into fourth place.
It is against the background of the ambitions of the CAPS United leadership led by club president Farai Jere that they have wasted little time tying up deals for new players to bolster the squad which Chitembwe has at his disposal.
The deals include the signing of returning left wing-back Pfumbidzai and luring 2014 Castle Soccer Star of the Year Dauda.
Pfumbidzai is back in the country after lasting just six months in what had appeared a dream break into European football where he had signed for Hobro IK of Denmark on an initial one-year deal that was, however, terminated mid-stream.
The defender had been on the radar of Harare City and FC Platinum, but Pfumbidzai opted to return to CAPS United, signing a three-year deal and his decision to go back to Makepekepe also won him praises from Jere.
“Pfumbidzai has signed a three-year contract with us and that is the loyalty that we want from players. He did not look elsewhere from the moment he returned home.
“We want to build this CAPS United team around people who have the club at heart and not mercenaries.
“The young man loves CAPS United, he looked for us when he came back and we are glad to have him rejoining us,’’ Jere said.
Jere was also happy to have Dauda signing for them in a move that should see a new look CAPS United rearguard next season, what with veteran defender Method Mwanjali now ready to revive his dance with the clubs six years after he left to join Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa.
“Dauda has now joined his new family and actually trained with the team last week,’’ Jere said
Mwanjali — who captained the Warriors to COSAFA Cup glory on home soil in 2009 — rejoined CAPS United before the end of the 2015 season, but by then Makepekepe had exhausted their registration quota with the Premier Soccer League and the former Hwange man had to contend with just training with the squad.
Jere also revealed that big goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda, who showed his versatility by playing as a centre forward, had also traced his way back to CAPS United after featuring for Northern Region Division One title aspirants Gunners in the just-ended term.
“We also have Simba Nhivi who is back with us and Zikeeper (Sibanda) as we continue to build on our team. In fact, the coach wanted to use all those players in the Unity Cup game today, (yesterday) unfortunately that game was called off,’’ Jere said.
CAPS United are also understood to be chasing the signature of exciting ZPC Kariba midfielder Raphael Manuvire, but Jere insisted that “nothing concrete has been agreed upon yet’’.
It has also emerged that Triangle’s Zimbabwe Under-23 winger Malvin Gaki is targeting a possible switch to the capital to join CAPS United.
Gaki is on loan to Triangle from Division One side DC Academy and still has one more year left with the Sugar Sugar Boys, but CAPS United are understood to be mulling a swoop on the speedy winger.
That would mean CAPS United opening negotiations for the player, including talks with former Zimbabwe centre-back Dickson Choto who owns DC Academy.
Seasoned striker Obadiah Tarumbwa, whose contract with Highlanders is understood to be expiring at the end of this month, has also been linked with a move to the Green Machine.
Although CAPS United have hit the ground running in the transfer market, the Premiership giants have also insisted they will not make wholesale changes to their squad.
This is because Chitembwe, who is also a strict disciplinarian, has expressed satisfaction with the bulk of the squad he had at his disposal.
Chitembwe was the third CAPS United coach in the 2015 season, with the club having started the year under the guidance of British coach Mark Harrison.
When Harrison quit in a huff and headed for Botswana, CAPS United elevated his deputy Mark Mathe to head coach before they lured Chitembwe back.
Online Reporter