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Farai Jere

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor—

CHAMPIONS CAPS United have dissolved their board of directors just two days after winning their first league championship title in 11 years. The Harare giants’ shareholders met in the capital yesterday and decided to dissolve the board of directors with another board set to be unveiled on Friday.The Herald can reveal that most, if not all, the board members are expected to be retained although chairman Lewis Uriri has hinted he plans to leave football administration at the end of next month.

Uriri led the board which guided the Green Machine to their first league championship, since 2015, with the leading Harare lawyer revealing last week he intends to take a break from football administration at the end of the year.

It was not immediately clear last night as to whether Uriri will have a change of mind.

“The shareholders met in Harare today and resolved to dissolve our board of directors,” club president Farai Jere told The Herald.

“We will be announcing a new board, least, by Friday this week.

“Obviously, the saying goes that you can’t change a winning team but we have to be cognisant of the fact that the club’s value, and expectations, have changed after we emerged triumphant in the league championship and that means we have to also look at our board and see how best we can help it meet the kind of expectations demanded by our changed status.

“There is no doubt that our board did a very good job and our success in the league championship is testimony to that because there isn’t any better way, in terms of measuring success, than being champions, especially in a very competitive field that we found ourselves in competing against very good teams like FC Platinum and Highlanders.

“But we are also looking ahead, with our Champions League adventure a priority, and we need to see where we can help the board by, if necessary, bringing in other people who can bring value and ensure that the club will be ready for the double challenge of defending its league championship and also doing well in the CAF competition.

“CAPS United’s value is determined by its success and the fact that we won the championship means that we have earned more value this year and there will be a requirement that we face tougher challenges than the ones we had to deal with this year and we need to be strong, especially at board level, to do that.”

Jere also announced that the other resolution was that the club’s shareholders will have to work engage the board, at regular intervals than was the case this year, so that they work together to deal with the issues related to the challenges they will face next year.

“The expectations among the CAPS United family have changed, they are now very high, and that comes with winning the championship and we can’t let down the fans who stood with us, in good and tough times this season, and played a very big part in ensuring that we emerge as the best team in the country,” said Jere.

“As the leaders it doesn’t mean that we should sit down on our laurels and say it’s business as usual simply because we won the league title, in fact, we are now expected to do even more to ensure that the club remains competitive and we don’t just win the league championship for just one season and then disappear from the winners’ radar for 10 years.

“It’s a new era for CAPS United, you can mark my words, and people simply have to pull up their socks because the days when we would accept, just being part of the show with nothing to show for our sweat and tears, are gone and never to come back.

“We have been given a solid platform to build this club, which is part of the soul of Zimbabwe football, and we should not be found wanting because our actions, as leaders, are important in setting the agenda in terms of where we can take our club so that those who believe in it can be proud that they are part of us.

“I have always said that CAPS United should always win the championship because that is the benchmark of success and I’m happy that we have done that.”

Uriri confirmed the dissolution of the board last night.

“The shareholders of CAPS United Football Club (Private) Limited, which wholly owns CAPS UNITED FC extend their congratulations to the entire CAPS United family upon the long-awaited reclaim of our position as the champions of Zimbabwe football,” he said in a statement.

“Special mention must be made of Coach Chitembwe and the whole of his technical team, the Team Manager Mr. Chinogwenya and his team, Captain Moses Muchenje and the whole team, the Acting CEO and the rest of the support staff: thank you for your unwavering commitment to the vision in a difficult operating environment. The sky is now the limit.

“Thank you to our fans. You were the ‘12th man’ without whom it would not have been possible to attain our dreams.

“Thank you to everyone who partnered with us on this journey and especially Roar Sports Gear & Equipment, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, Betta Ball Sports, Esport, Oasis Water and Virtual Media Technologies.

“Thank you to every 2016 PSL member club for providing the competition without which there would be no champions. FC Platinum and Highlanders FC, the anxious moments and near heart break made the season a very exciting one.

“We advise our stakeholders and partners that we remain committed to the vision that brought us together. We have this day resolved to participate in the CAF Champions League in 2017. We undertake to employ our best endeavours to do you and Zimbabwe proud.

“To this end we are strengthening and improving on our institutions, structures and competencies. Consequently, in pursuit of our common vision, we have this day dissolved the present CAPS United Board. Lewis Uriri has stepped down as Chairman of CAPS United FC (Private) Limited and CAPS United FC.

“The President of CAPS United FC, Farai Jere, will on Friday 2 December 2016 announce a new Board of Directors. In the same vein, we will be shortly advertising for the post of substantive Chief Executive Officer.

“We know you will walk with us along the road to new and greater heights. We are one. We are united. Our strength is our unity even in the face of adversity. One family. One team. One Machine. One Vision. We are CAPS United.”