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Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
IT is back to domestic duties for Harare City as Zimbabwe’s Confederation Cup representatives take on CAPS United in a Zimbabwe National Army soccer Charity Shield tie at Rufaro on Sunday. The Sunshine Boys returned home on Monday brimming with confidence after eliminating Malagasy outfit AS Adema 6-3 on aggregate in the Confederation Cup. On the same day that Harare City returned from Madagascar, CAPS United were also returning home from a pre-season tour of Mozambique.

The city rivals will now make a further assessment of their sides that have strengthened ahead of the start of the 2016 Premiership season. Sunday’s clash between Harare City and CAPS United will be the second of the ZNA Charities Shield matches with ZPC Kariba having been the first team to book a place in the semi-finals following their hard fought 1-0 win over Dynamos at the same venue last Sunday.

The game also presents a number of interesting sub-plots with Sunshine Boys coach Taurai Mangwiro and his lieutenant Mike Madzivanyika having worked at CAPS United. Mangwiro also has several players including goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube, Tendai Samanja, Benson Maglas and Arnold Chivheya who have previously played for CAPS United.

Newboys Blessing Moyo, Ronald Chitiyo and Raphael Manuvire have also been instant hits at Harare City.

“We are preparing well for the game and everyone is working very hard and we look forward to the game.

It is always an emotional match but that is how football goes having been part of the CAPS United is a thing of the past I will focus on the job at hand,’’ Mangwiro said.

The Harare City coach will also use this match to prepare for their Confederation Cup first round assignment against Zambia’s Zanaco in two weeks.

After a successful tour of Mozambique, Makepekepe will get a chance to showcase how much ground they have covered in their preparation for the season in which they have set themselves a big task to win the ultimate prize — the championship — and end more than a decade of waiting for glory.

CAPS United played such teams like Chingale de Tete, Text Pungwe, Texta Africa and Esterella de Beira and used the tour to give a host of new acquisitions including Archford Gutu, Abbas Amidu, Edmore Sibanda, Dennis Dauda a chance to gel with the players retained from last year.