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AGELESS SNIPER … Leonard Tsipa celebrates after scoring again for CAPS United in their Castle Lager Premiership tussle against How Mine at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday which the Green Machine won in dramatic fashion

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes his charges could have secured the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League championship before the race heads into the home stretch if they had the same financial resources as their rivals.

Just like many clubs, the Green Machine have had their fair share of financial challenges in the tough operating environment, with players having occasionally downed tools to protest over late payments of salaries and bonuses.

Their main rivals, leaders FC Platinum don’t have such problems while the salaries for the Highlanders players are bankrolled by the club’s sponsors BancABC.

Chitembwe watched with satisfaction on Sunday as CAPS United showed their pedigree to continue mounting a strong challenge after edging How Mine 3-2 despite conceding a penalty right at the end of the game.

That hard-fought victory ensured CAPS United remained unbeaten in the league at the National Sports Stadium this season.

Chitembwe has backed his men to triumph and said the focus in the CAPS United dressing room was now firmly on the bid to win the championship they last claimed when he was a player under coach Charles Mhlauri 11 years ago.

The coach told SportsZone after CAPS United’s win over How Mine that he believes if his team “had the kind of financial resources like some of our rivals, we could have gone far by now’’.

The CAPS United legend also reckoned that injuries had done their bit to derail his team’s campaign, but saluted all his players for battling on and ensuring that Makepekepe remain a huge factor in the championship chase.

“Imagine if we had as much financial support as these other teams that we are chasing, I am sure by now we would have been somewhere.

“But all the same we are happy with the contribution that each and every one of these players has made,’’ Chitembwe said.

He said his men deserve to be crowned champions at the end of this season.

With five games remaining, CAPS United are not only hoping to win in those assignments against Border Strikers (away), Dynamos in the big Harare Derby at the National Sports Stadium, Harare City (away), Ngezi Platinum (home) and Chapungu (away), but they will be hoping their main rivals in the chase Bosso and FC Platinum slip up.

Interestingly, FC Platinum and Highlanders will square off in another potential title decider at Mandava in the penultimate round of the 2016 Premiership fixtures.

Chitembwe felt that even if his charges fail to win the championship and end a long barren spell for the ultimate prize in domestic football, he would still remain proud of the manner in which skipper Moses Muchenje and his troops have served him this term.

“I think they are deserving champions in as far as I am concerned. Even if we don’t win the league . . . I am very happy and very delighted to have this group of players.”

Chitembwe, who is also aiming to add another chapter to his legendary status at CAPS United by winning the championship both as player and coach, said he had been convinced that the mindset of his charges were now firmly anchored on the strong possibility of being crowned champions at the end of November.

“We are in the championship mode now. It is difficult to try and deviate the thinking away from the way they are thinking and their application on the pitch tells you that they have what it takes to go all the way,’’ Chitembwe said.

He has also been forced to regularly shuffle his pack because of injuries to key players such as Tafadzwa Rusike, Abbas Amidu, Archford Gutu and recently big goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda.

Veteran striker Leonard Tsipa, an integral part of Mhaluri’s side that won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, has also been leading from the front providing the necessary goals and experience that have kept CAPS United firing and dreaming on.

Tsipa has defied age to take over the main attacking role at CAPS United and has also set his sights on a third championship medal for his trophy cabinet.