Boxer Aliyah Phiri up with the best
and trust from his employer and club owner Farai Jere. “Just like other teams, we are also beefing up our squad ahead of what promises to be an exciting season. The coach has recommended the players he wants and we have provided him with some of the players. We trust our coach because he knows what he is doing,” Jere told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“In fact, the coaches have basically kept faith with the bulk of the team that finished strongly in our last 10 games of last season and are now filling in some of the gaps that have been created by the departures of some players.”
There is also strong belief in the CAPS United ranks that the experience of the players they have will come in handy in dealing with the pressure that comes with playing for one of the country’s traditional “Big Three’’, who include Dynamos and Highlanders.
However, some of their staunch supporters feel CAPS United should revert to the old system when they were famous for their sound junior policy.
United Kingdom-based author Wellington Chingwaro, who has written several books about CAPS United, believes Makepekepe have abandoned their development policy.
“Nowadays junior policy is non-existent,” he says. “A return to junior policy, recruitment of the best players in the top-flight league and lower leagues will no doubt return the club to its former glory.”
THE World Boxing Council (WBC) have rated Zimbabwean pugilist Aliyah Phiri as the best African male lightweight boxer in their latest rankings.
The 23-year-old Phiri, who is also the African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, is now ranked 36th on the WBC ratings released on January 13.
His stock rose sharply after he claimed the ABU belt following a clinical second-round TKO (technical knockout) victory over highly rated Israel “Money Machine” Kamwamba of Malawi in Harare on December 8.
Renowned boxing statisticians Boxrec also recently rated Phiri the overall joint third-best male lightweight boxer in Africa, behind Jeremiah Nakathila of Namibia and Tanzania’s Abeid Zugo, who both enjoy fourstar status.
The South African duo of Kaine Fourie and Khaya Busakwe similarly have a threestar rating.
Phiri defends his ABU lightweight belt against Saidi Mkola of Tanzania in Harare on March 29.
“I am aiming high and I want to excel in everything I do,” Phiri told The Sunday Mail Sport.
His father Issa is a former pugilist, while his brother Ali is his current trainer.
“I want to achieve everything I can in boxing; as a result, I am going to keep working hard in the gym. I will sweat, bleed and cry in the gym,” he said.
“I have been dreaming of making Zimbabwe big in boxing. For me to be rated a three-star boxer and to be number 36 in the WBC ratings is a huge step.”
With a three-star rating, the boxer, who hails from the sprawling suburb of Hatcliffe, can now attract lucrative fights.
“For me, this is a dream come true. “I have been dreaming about making myself proud; making my father and brother proud.”
Should he defend his ABU title against Mkola, he will then go for the WBC Africa title, which is now the route to the ultimate gold belt.
“For this coming fight in March, I don’t have much to say to my opponents, save to say that fans should write down the date and then come in numbers to witness a good fight.
“I want to lift Zimbabwe’s flag high.” Local boxing promoter and renowned match-maker Clyde Musonda spoke highly of Phiri’s fresh rating.
“What it means is that Phiri is now one of the most attractive boxers not only in Africa but in the world,” Musonda said.
“Charles Manyuchi reached four stars when he won the WBC Silver welterweight title back in 2016 and you saw how his stock rose.
“Kudakwashe Chiwandire is also up there. She now has three-and-half stars and is regarded as one of the toughest opponents in the female bantamweight division.”
A former WBC interim champion, Chiwandire, who fights under Musonda’s Deltaforce Boxing Academy, is ranked 14th.
She is the only African boxer inside the top 15 of the latest WBC’s female super-bantamweight rankings.
Chiwandire is set to fight for the WBC International title against holder Urvashi Singh of India in April at a venue to be advised.
The two were scheduled to fight on December 15 in Australia but the match was postponed after Chiwandire and his team failed to obtain visas.
“The girl (Chiwandire) is still relevant despite going for some time without a fight,” added Musonda.
Chiwandire made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean boxer to challenge for a WBC gold belt.
She, however, lost on points against world champion Yamileth Mercado of Mexico in March last year.