Chitembwe happy with Caps

By Mukudzei Chingwere

Despite his team being a distant 21 points behind leaders FC Platinum and well out of the reckoning for the Premiership title, Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes his side’s appearance in the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final accounts for a “successful season’’.

Caps United just like the other traditional giants Dynamos and Highlanders long fizzled out of the championship puzzle, reducing the battle to a two-horse race featuring champions FC Platinum and ambitious Ngezi Platinum.

Chitembwe’s men will finally get to face their bitter rivals Dynamos in a re-scheduled Harare derby at Rufaro on Sunday.

The Caps United coach argued that his side had done well against the background of the departures of eight players before the start of the season.

With prospects of a league title out of the way, it the Chibuku Super Cup that now presents Caps United with a chance to end the season with some silverware in their trophy cabinet.

Caps United will line up in the last four alongside Dynamos, Triangle and two-time winners Harare City.

“It is not about who is still in the competition or who has been knocked out. You cannot win it unless you play the last game and make sure you win it.

“For us we are prepared and ready for the challenge and at the same time we are very excited to have gone this far in this competition,” said Chitembwe.

“We are in a transition phase. It is a fact we lost quite a number of players – eight- last season to be precise so you cannot expect the team to gel just like that.

“Even if you lose two players you are bound to lose cohesion but with us we have not lost much. Things appear to be going very well for us and we are very happy we want to take it game by game until we get to a situation where we are very happy with our performance.

“For us success is not like finishing first but what it is most important for us is to make sure we have the right kind of environment to keep developing and growing as a football team and I am happy with this environment it gives me confidence going into the future,” said Chitembwe.

Caps are in the last four after they dispatched Chapungu 4-3 in a penalty shootout over the weekend and if they go on to win the competition they will get the right to represent the country in the 2019/2020 Caf Confederation Cup.

The last time they represented the country in the African Safari in the 2017 Champions League they reached the group stage and their supporters will be hoping of another dance with the continental game.

Re-arranged PSL Fixtures
Saturday: Black Rhinos v Harare City (NSS)

Sunday: Shabanie Mine v Highlanders (Maglas), Dynamos v Caps United (Rufaro) The Chronicle