‘CAPS United will bounce back’
IT has been a disastrous season for CAPS United but coach Lloyd Chitembwe says it’s an indicator that the Green Machine will soar again next season and win major silverware, including the Castle Lager Premiership football title.
It might sound like a joke but Chitembwe, who is the most decorated son of the Green Machine, says he has seen all this before.
He told The Herald this is a trend he has seen, again and again, in the past two decades.
CAPS United won three league titles, during that period, with Chitembwe featuring in all of them either as a player or as a coach.
He remains the only former CAPS United player to lead the Green Machine to a league championship as a coach.
The Harare giants are already looking for some players to beef-up their squad in key areas, which need additions and reinforcements, as well as the players the club would want to offload.
“One very interesting thing is one day I was just going through certain things about this club, starting from 2000,” said Chitembwe.
“I have realised that each time we have a very bad season, the season that comes thereafter will be a good season.
“It reminds me of 2003.
“If you remember, we survived relegation on the last day of the season, remember the Highlanders game at Gwanzura?
“And, in 2004 we went on to win the league title, in 2005 we went on to win the league.
“So, those two successful seasons came after a very disastrous 2003 season.”
The CAPS United coach said the trend has been repeating itself over a number of seasons. “Then 2006, it was not the best of seasons. “We had lost players, we went to England
in 2005, and we struggled when those players remained behind in the UK.
“Then, 2009 and 2010, we had very successful seasons, successes a bit different, they were not locally but on the continent, in international football.
“We played in the CAF Confederation Cup. “We went as far as winning against Warri Wolves and beating Moroka Swallows when they were at the top of their game.
“2010 was very successful due to the fact that we went on to lose almost seven players
within the same season.
“Then, in 2015, we almost got relegated, I remember I was here again and when I came, the team was in position four but we finished in position six. “In 2016, we went on to win the championship and in 2017 we did exceptionally well in the CAF Champions League.
“Then in 2018, again we lost some other players. We lost players like Dominic (Chungwa), Eddie Sibanda, Pfumbidzai (Ronald), Abbas Amidu and all those guys.
“We struggled, we finished on number 9 and then in 2019 we came back strongly and we were almost on the verge of winning the league title.
“So, I don’t know if it’s a trend, what is it with us having a bad season and then the following year we go on to have another season, a very good one?
“Maybe, it is by coincidence,” said Chitembwe. The CAPS United coach says they have picked up a number of lessons from the poor season in which they nearly fought relegation.
“We don’t want to be very much restricted or disturbed by the events of this season.
“I am sure it was something that was meant to be, but I am sure we have also taken lessons.
“Even players, even those who are staying behind, have taken lessons, even those that are also going, they have also taken lessons.
“And, as a football club, we have also taken very good lessons. We all know why we didn’t perform to the best of our abilities.”
Makepekepe will need a better financial base to compete next season.
“The club president (Farai Jere) and his administration bloc have put in place resources to try and re-energise the team. In as far as the playing team is concerned, the team is constantly improving.
“You learn more when you lose, as a coach I am sure you learn more when you have lost so this being a poor season we have taken more lessons, so we are looking forward to the new season with a lot of hope and optimism.
“We can’t wait to get past this season and plan for the future,” Chitembwe said.