Harrison rings alarm bells at CAPS
By Godknows Matarutse
HARARE – CAPS United coach Mark Harrison has warned the club’s precarious financial position is a ‘ticking time bomb’ that could explode and drive the team towards disintegration.
Harrison’s startling remarks follow the team’s 0-4 mauling in Triangle two weeks ago and the boycott of its high profile match against ambitious How Mine a week earlier, all due to monetary disputes.
The British coach, a former player with English south coast Premiership side – Southampton – joined Makepekepe at the beginning of the season to replace the former technical team led by Taurai Mangwiro.
Ironically, the Mangwiro-led bench left for expensively assembled Harare City after enduring a turbulent time with the Green Machine, again, over monetary issues.
The Briton has, however; seen enough and poured his heart out to the Daily News and warned that CAPS’ future is very bleak unless there is urgent intervention.
“The truth of the matter is the club does not have money. We are currently in a bad state and we are finding it difficult to even travel for away matches,” Harrison told the Daily News.
“It’s not a healthy situation for football. I feel for the future of the football club. I’m trying to talk to the players but the difficult thing is for how long it will last?
“It’s getting worse by the day. And I think something urgent needs to be done. I had requested for a meeting with the president and CEO on Sunday but I failed to get hold of them.”
Harrison, who also played for Port Vale in his native England, feels for the players caught up in this debacle.
“We have been working hard recently on the field but you get to a point where you ask yourself until when?” asked Harrison.
“It’s massively difficult to motivate hungry players. I have never seen anything like this in my football career in the last 38 years.
“They come to training hungry. I feel like one of their fathers but it seems I have failed these youngsters. It’s really a bad situation. Players are owed money. I am owned money. We are in the same situation.”
Despite the problems Harrison has faced at United, the Briton feels he has a good project in place and appealed to those in a position to help to come forward and bail out Twine Phiri.
“I think it’s high time for someone out there with loads of courage and integrity to move in and give Mr Twine the lift he clearly needs. Financial injection is what we need at the moment,” said Harrison.
“I think if the club can solve its financial problems, we can definitely take CAPS United to another level. We are capable of mounting a serious title challenge. The talent we have at CAPS can make the team strong. We have got some exceptional talent.”
Harrison, who also had coaching stints with South African Super Diski clubs Chippa United and Golden Arrows, says he remains committed to the club.
“CAPS is without doubt one of the best club in the country with potential to surpass Dynamos. I really want this to work.
“I am enjoying Zimbabwe, I love the people here. The fans are fantastic and they appreciate what we are doing as the team. I wanna (sic) see through my contract.”
After a bright start to the season in which they won their opening two matches, United’s progress came to a screeching halt in that unfulfilled fixture against How Mine.
Makepekepe regrouped three days later and were able to hold defending champions Dynamos to a 1-1 draw in the Harare derby before they were knocked back to earth by that crushing defeat to Triangle.
CAPS United’s financial problems have been well-documented in recent seasons with majority shareholder Phiri (75 percent) struggling to finance the club.
Player strikes and revolts have been the order of the day at the Harare giants with creditors lining up on the club’s door armed with writs of execution to attach property.
A sponsorship deal with South African mobile application company Zing collapsed amidst accusations and counter accusations of malicious intent on both parties. Daily News
