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CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE . . . Former Dynamos striker Rodreck Mutuma (centre) is unveiled as a CAPS United player in Harare yesterday by the club’s chief executive Joe Makuvire (left) and head coach Mark Harrison

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
FORMER Dynamos striker Rodreck Mutuma yesterday completed his switch to rivals CAPS United with new coach Mark Harrison immediately declaring that the striker will be a big asset in the Green Machine campaign.Mutuma signed a two-year contract with the Green Machine, with an option to add another year, after his negotiations with DeMbare broke down.

The lanky forward was unveiled yesterday at the RBZ Sports Club amid a huge wave of excitement among the Makepekepe family, who promised to unveil two more players this week.

The Green Machine are rebuilding their side following the loss of several key players and an entire technical bench.

Harrison started work at the club yesterday after missing the opening four weeks of pre-season preparations and was thrilled with the arrival of the self-styled prince from bitter rivals Dynamos.

The Englishman holds Mutuma in high regard and said he has previous knowledge of the player from his short stint at Bloemfontein Celtics in South Africa where he has coached a number of top-flight teams.

Harrison said Mutuma’s move to Makepekepe was the best thing that has happened to the domestic Premiership during the off-season.

“I know him well. He is going to be a tremendous signing for us. Probably one of the best signing this season in the Zimbabwe Premiership, make no mistake about that. He is going to be a big asset to us.

“I am looking forward to work with him. I know what he is like. He has got an urge about him as a person and I don’t mind; I quite like that. I can deal with players like him.

“If you’ve got eleven of those, you have a championship team. So he is going to be a big asset to us. We have got to build around him as well. You know we have to bring in more players as well,” said Harrison.

CAPS United chief executive Joe Makuvire welcomed the striker and said he was more than a worthy replacement for Dominic Chungwa, who moved the opposite direction when he left the Green Machine to join DeMbare.

Chungwa signed a two-year deal with the Glamour Boys after his relationship with the Green Machine broke down irretrievably.

Ironically, Mutuma, at the same time, was increasingly getting frustrated by the DeMbare management as negotiations to thrash out a new deal were not yielding results.

Makuvire said CAPS United went out of their way to win Mutuma’s signature by offering better than what was tabled by Dynamos.

“I prefer everything to be confidential but we are paying a proper price for it. He is not coming on the cheap side; better than what he had been offered at Dynamos . . . We believe he is an ideal replacement for Dominic Chungwa. We just needed a better player to replace Chungwa,” said Makuvire.

Mutuma was happy crossing the great divide, without fearing being labelled a “traitor” like what happened to Masimba Mambare when he moved from Highlanders to join Dynamos last year.

How he is going to deliver might also depend heavily on the reception he gets from the green half of the city.

“I am a sportsman and I have to adapt to the new environment soon. For me football will always be the same just like the numbers six and nine can be  interchanged.

“This is my new job and it’s a new challenge in my career. In life one has to make decisions and move on and this is what I have done for now and I hope to do well,” said Mutuma.