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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe says his Green Machine are still work in progress and is hoping the clash with eternal rivals Dynamos in a pre-season charity match will give him a good opportunity to gauge progress.

Makepekepe are set to play DeMbare in the invitational match at Rufaro on March 10.

Winners are set to walk away with a trophy and $20 000 while losers stand to pocket $15 000.

And, with four weeks left before the start of the 2019 season, both Chitembwe and his Dynamos counterpart, Lloyd Chigowe, are keen to use the match to assess progress.

“I think it’s important for any coach at any level. We are in a very critical moment in the sense that here is an opportunity to try and measure your preparations,’’ he said.

“There is no better opportunity to try and measure your preparations than having a game of this magnitude.

“’So, as a coach, I am very happy and I am looking forward to the match.’’

CAPS United are keen to compete for the title this year and have signed a number of players, including the former Highlanders duo of Gabriel Nyoni and Newman Sianchali.

They have also taken on board promising youngsters Clive Rupiya, Blessing Sarupinda and Pride Zivengwa while pacy winger Phineas Bhamusi and Ronald Chitiyo are returning this season.

“I think we have gone five weeks into the pre-season training and, so far, so good.

“We are happy and obviously trying to address certain aspects of the game. It’s never easy but the response has been very positive from the boys.

“First week, we were working on their physical aspects of the game, the general fitness and, thereafter, we were trying to incorporate the technical aspect of the game and now we are trying to incorporate the tactical aspect of the game.

“I think the major aspects of the game have been addressed but like I have always said, players naturally enjoy playing games and this is one kind of an opportunity that they are very comfortable with.

“It’s not so nice to train and not having to play games because the best measurement of how far you have come or gone as a football team is by way of playing games.

“It’s a continual learning process for us and (the new players), it’s not so easy. There are a lot of things that players go through for example, now during the pre-season, we are talking of human beings and not machines and it takes them a while to get to understand what we want.

“It also takes us a bit of some time to understand exactly what they want. But the response so far has been so good. So we are very happy and looking forward to the season,” said Chitembwe.

Their opponents Dynamos are rebuilding from scratch after losing the bulk of their team from last season.

The Glamour Boys have a virtually new-look squad and want the Passion Events Charity match to give them the boost they need.

“We are still oiling our team, fine-tuning to see whether we have got the right combinations and as such this match will give us the chance to measure the progress we have had so far in rebuilding a big brand like Dynamos,” said coach Lloyd Chigowe.

Gate charges have been pegged at $5, $10 upper grand stand and $30 for the VIP.

The organisers of the charity match, represented by Paddington Maisiri and Kudzi Jowa, said proceeds from the match will go towards assisting the less privileged members of society.