Caps United are smiling again

By Robson Sharuko

When CAPS United leaders decided to pluck Lloyd Chitembwe from obscurity and bring him back as the specialist mechanic who would fix a Green Machine, which had been misfiring, there were voices of disapproval — inside and outside their family — which questioned whether this was the right move.

Those opposed to the move questioned the wisdom of hiring a man they said had failed to make an impression, at a Division One club, and who had been at CAPS United before and failed to take the Green Machine to the glory fields of the Promised Land.

And when his first game yielded a disappointing result, a goalless home draw against Buffaloes, the voices of those who questioned the decision to recruit him even grew louder.

That he had just spent less than seven days with the team, ahead of the game against Buffaloes, was either conveniently forgotten or ignored in the savage post-mortem that followed his team’s lifeless performance against one of the teams battling relegation.

With a tough away trip to Hwange coming, just a few days after that draw against Buffaloes, a venue where the Green Machine had struggled to win with their last victory having coming half-a-dozen years ago, when Tendai “DJ Malaika” Nyamadzawo fired them to a nervy 1-0 victory on July 11, 2009, the critics were sharpening their knives.

This whole experiment, they argued, was about to explode in the faces of those who had made the decision to bring Chitembwe back as head coach.

The odds were firmly against Chitembwe, and those who had backed his recall, the examination was a very tough one and Hwange had, over the years, proved to be the Green Machine’s bogey side with Chipangano beating their rivals, at the Colliery, in 2010 (2-1), 2011 (1-0), 2012 (3-2), and 2014 (2-1) with the best show by CAPS United being just a draw (1-1) in 2013.

Hwange had also made life difficult for CAPS United in Harare, holding the Green Machine (0-0) in 2009, stealing a point (0-0) in 2010, winning 1-0 in the capital in 2011, holding out for a draw (1-1) in 2013 and forcing another draw (0-0) at the National Sports Stadium earlier this year.

Only twice, during that period, did CAPS United, with both victories coming in Harare (2-0 in 2013) and (2-1 last year).

But, in just his second game in charge, Chitembwe waved his magic and inspired his men to a priceless 1-0 win over Hwange at the Colliery, ending six years of pain for the Green Machine family on their trips there, and plunging his army of critics into silence.

Then, on Sunday, they hammered Highlanders 3-1 at the National Sports Stadium and, given how they have struggled at home all season, leading to the superstitious ones in their family to suggest that their home was cursed, a three-goal return against Bosso was as sweet a victory as they will ever come.

Understandably, the Bosso Class of 2015 have been a mockery to the reputation of this iconic brand, but this is the same Green Machine that had failed to score, in the same stadium, against Buffaloes, Dongo Sawmill and were held by Tsholotsho and Flame Lily.

Seven points from a possible nine, two wins and a draw in his first three games, and only one goal conceded in 270 minutes of action, is a good return for a coach who was dismissed as a spent force, even by some of his own supporters, who followed his struggles in Division One.

Of course, it’s still early days yet and there will be tougher assignments before the season comes to an end but there is no questioning that Chitembwe, slowly but surely, is turning his team into one that — while it might not play eye-catching flowing football — is proving tough to beat.

His decision to play with a lone forward, Leonard Tsipa, against Highlanders appeared to be the work of a coward.

But the veteran forward played his role, of holding the ball and bringing in others into attack whenever they ventured forward, to perfection and with Phineas Bhamusi and Hardlife Zvirekwi buzzing down the wings, they always had good numbers whenever they poured into the opponents’ half.

Bhamusi scored the first goal, somehow sneaking from his wide role into a central position in that attack, and then firing from range, with the ball taking a wicked bounce to beat the diving ‘keeper and settle into the net, but the power and accuracy of the effort couldn’t be faulted.

Neither could the sudden tactical switch which gave CAPS United an extra man, down the centre, while the man who was marking Bhamusi remained marooned down the wing.

And, after Bosso had equalised, CAPS did not drop their heads, a mental toughness that was lacking in their game before Chitembwe’s arrival, and Tsipa pushed them into the lead again before substitute Dominic Chungwa, who has suddenly found his scoring touch, ended the game as a contest in the dying moments.

“I thought the technical application, tactical application I am sure contributed to this victory. We showed more desire than our opponents,” said Chitembwe.

“Top four for CAPS United, I don’t think is where we want to be. The ultimate goal for CAPS is to try and be champions.”

Now, that’s what you want to hear from a coach whose first question to his players, when he was unveiled as the new gaffer a few weeks ago, was why they were not being called for the national team.

A team like CAPS United, he said, should have players who feature prominently for the national team.

Six years ago, the Green Machine provided the bulk of players who featured for the home-based Warriors as they won the COSAFA Cup in Harare with Method Mwanjali captaining the side and Nyasha Mushekwi scoring goals for the team.

That CAPS United team, too, was the last to beat bitter rivals Dynamos in a league match with Mushekwi scoring twice that afternoon.

Chitembwe was the coach in charge back then and, now that he is back, those who trust him are beginning to believe.

“Mathematically we have a chance to win the title though we are out of the race,” Solomon Maruve, one of the club’s fans, said on Facebook. “Let’s prepare game by game without exerting pressure on our players and technical staff.”

Suddenly, it doesn’t look gloomy at the Green Machine and that’s good for the domestic Premiership. The Herald