Caps uniting in Zambia
ZIMBABWEAN football kings Caps United insist they are not worried about their pre-season results but are focusing more on making sure that they build a strong bond within the team as they prepare for this year’s CAF Champions League campaign.
Makepekepe are touring Zambia as they prepare to take on Lesotho’s Lioli in the preliminary round of the continent’s premier club football tourney in a fortnight.
Coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s men on Friday lost 2-0 to Zambia’s Red Arrows in their second pre-season game having beaten Mozambique’s Ferroviario Da Beira by the same score line in Harare last Sunday.
Today they play seven-time Zambian champions Zanaco in Lusaka and Chitembwe said he is impressed with the way his team is bonding.
“So far so good, we are happy to have the squad together, happy to see the team bonding as was the case last season,” Chitembwe told this publication over the phone.
“It’s very important to have this bond intact because looking back at the past season, I can say a strong bond was one of the major reasons why we went on to win the league. So we are making use of the lessons from the past season.”
The reigning Castle Lager Coach of the year also said it will be folly for fans to start judging his team’s pedigree based on pre-season results as he is yet to start working on team tactics.
“We are not looking at results because at this stage these results are not a reflection of the team’s capabilities.
“There are various issues which have to be worked on in football and these include the mental fitness of the players, their physical fitness, as well as tactics.
“So for now we haven’t started working on the tactics but I am confident we would have addressed that by the time the CAF Champions League starts,” said Chitembwe.
Makepekepe have a tough route as they bid to reach the money spinning group stages with crack DRC giants and former African champions TP Mazembe waiting for them in the first round.
The Green Machine retained faith in the squad that worn them the league title with the major highlight of their transfer business being the arrival of Ronald “Rooney” Chitiyo from Harare City.
They also signed defender Last Sithole from FC Platinum as a direct replacement for Stephen Makatuka who joined Joey Antipas at South Africa’s National first division side Amazulu.