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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

CAPS UNITED coach Lloyd Chitembwe says his team is focusing on the positives than negatives ahead of their rescheduled Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match against Black Rhinos at Sakubva in Mutare on Sunday.

Makepekepe’s house has been on fire over the past three months with players boycotting training over salary issues.

They only regrouped last week after some talks with the club management after the latter paid part of the salaries owed to the former.

But the players again staged some sit-ins last Friday and Monday before getting back to serious work over the last three days.

Not because they have been fully paid what they are owed.

They have been promised, at least, but these are footballers who need to play the game under any circumstances.

Their outstanding match-day-three fixture against the army side came about after the players refused to get tested for Covid-19 in December last year prompting the Premier Soccer League to shelve the encounter.

And Chitembwe believes the setbacks should not disrupt his team’s focus ahead of Sunday’s game.

“Granted, we have not had decent preparations, we have had some start-stop preparations. But at the end of the day we know what we are supposed to do, we know our responsibilities,” said Chitembwe.

“I am very happy with the progress so far, especially in the last two, three days.

“You know you cannot run away from your tasks and responsibilities for they are clearly defined, to go out there on the pitch and perform and ultimately bring results.

“So, I am very much aware of what is expected of us as far as tasks are concerned.

“That is why we have been working so hard over the last days in preparation for the match against Black Rhinos.”

Chitembwe said his team is banking on their vast experience.

“We haven’t done much but we are relying mainly on the players’ experience including those who have just joined us.

“I am sure they have been in the game for a while now and I am sure they also understand what is at stake.

“They are fully aware of what is expected of them.

“We are really looking forward to their application on the pitch.

“But I know it won’t be an easy game, Black Rhinos have forever been preparing for the resumption of the season so obviously in terms of physical conditioning, they are ready but at the end of the day we just have to go out there and try to perform.” The Green Machine are racing against time to register Dennis Dauda, Devon Chafa and Rodwell Chinyengetere so as to make them available for selection on Sunday.

The other senior player, William Manondo, who joined from Harare City, has all his papers in order.

Besides the four, former Dynamos fringe left-back Albert Manenji and Pardington Nyamakura, who was with Herentals last year, are also training with Makepekepe.

While Chitembwe has raised concern over his team’s lack of proper preparation, his Black Rhinos counterpart, Herbert ‘’Jompano’’ Maruwa, insists matches against CAPS United are never easy.

“We need to be at our very best on Sunday.

“The match against CAPS United is not going to be easy,” said Maruwa.

“We have a new team and the boys must quickly adjust to the way we play. CAPS United are a big team we can’t read much about their problems. They can rise to the occasion. We cannot afford to underrate them; we know the better team on the day will win.”