By Grace Chingoma
CAPS United, battling with a mounting injury list amid a hectic programme both in the Champions League and the domestic scene, have appointed sports medicine expert Nicholas Munyonga as head of their medical team.
Club chief executive Cuthbert Chitima said they decided to boost their medical department after facing serious challenges with players.
Yesterday, the experienced doctor had a meeting with the technical team after the training session.
Munyonga, who is also one of the Warriors’ rotational doctors, had his hands full this week trying to rehabilitate half-a-dozen players, who are in the casualty ward exactly a week before they meet Al Ahli Tripoli in Tunis in a group stage match next Tuesday.
Skipper Hardlife Zvirekwi, Denis Dauda, goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda, Tafadzwa Rusike and Leonard Tsipa are some of the players still battling to fully recover before the team travels to Tunisia on Sunday.
One of the remarkable feats for the World Anti-Doping Agency official is that he was able to work around the clock with Knowledge Musona during the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon, getting him to recover in time for the team’s last group match against Tunisia despite having initially been ruled out when he limped off in the opening match against Algeria with a hamstring.
Before CAPS United can fully focus on the crunch Group B away match, they will this evening return to domestic league action with a match against Bantu Rovers at the National Sports Stadium.
The match, under floodlights, gets underway at 6pm.
The Green Machine will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways after dropping some points in their last two encounters.
Club assistant coach Fungai ‘Tostao’ Kwashi said they will give a run to other players in place of the injured regulars.
Third-choice goal minder Prosper Chigumba is expected to be given a go.
Sibanda, who missed the last encounter against Al Ahli Tripoli with a swollen leg, briefly trained yesterday while Muchambo also trained with the rest of the team.
The club was also boosted by the return of defender Valentine Musarurwa, who is back in training and might be given a nod this evening.
“We still have some injuries, but we hope by the time we travel some players would have got better. Their situations are all different.
“But we are not yet looking at that match.
We are focussing on tomorrow’s (today) match and we will refresh some departments, throw in some players. But those players have to earn their place in the team.
“It is an opportunity for the other guys to get in the groove.
“We are taking this match seriously, confident in ourselves hoping for a positive result, but we are not looking down upon them.
“We respect Bantu Rovers, but we are raring to go. We want to give our fans a morale-booster by winning this match. But we will not get ahead of ourselves, we know that Bantu would be highly-motivated facing the champions,” said Kwashi.
Fixtures
Today: CAPS United v Bantu Rovers (National Sports Stadium, 6pm).
Tomorrow: Chapungu v Bulawayo City (Ascot), Chicken Inn v ZPC Kariba (Luveve), FC Platinum v Harare City (Mandava), black Rhinos v Highlanders (Morris Depot), Triangle v Shabanie (Gibbo).
Thursday: Bantu Rovers v Tsholotsho (Luveve, 1pm), How Mine v Yadah (Luveve), Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum (National Sports Stadium, 7pm), Hwange v CAPS United (postponed). The Herald
