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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE giants CAPS United say they are aiming to atone for the lost time after they resumed training at the weekend in preparation for the domestic football competitions.

Darlington Dodo and his men met for the first time yesterday, eight months after they had abandoned pre-season training following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Green Machine were supposed to take COVID-19 tests for players and officials last week before they go down to business but the exercise was only completed this weekend after encountering logistical challenges.

This meant coach Darlington Dodo and his charges were not able to resume group training as per schedule.

The Premier Soccer League said the Green Machine are among three clubs that delayed the start of their preparations for the bubble tournament.

PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare told The Herald that most of the clubs in the 18-team league had begun training but CAPS United, Yadah and Triangle were still to complete their COVID-19 tests by last week.

The delays may mean that the proposed bubble tournament, which was supposed to take place in December, is now impossible since teams need at least six weeks to condition their players before embarking in competitive football.

“Most of the clubs have already started training. But as of last week (Wednesday), three clubs had not yet conducted their COVID-19 tests. These are CAPS United, Yadah and Triangle,” said Bare.

“Once a club has done the tests, results are supposed to be sent to the Sports Medicine Committee for determination and a decision is made whether they should go ahead with the training.

“So far we have been in the right tracks. Preparations for the bubble are still underway and information will be availed on the progress,” said Bare.

Makepekepe completed their COVID-19 tests on Saturday. Although it could not be established immediately whether CAPS United had a clean bill of health, a club official who requested anonymity said everything was in place for the club to go ahead with their training.

Dodo and his technical team did not waste time and were yesterday busy with their preparations.

Other Premiership clubs such as Dynamos, Highlanders, Harare City, Black Rhinos and Herentals have since conducted their tests and started training. Dynamos were the first to begin training two weeks ago.

The ZIFA and PSL medical committee headed by former national team doctor, Edward Chagonda, has since given the clubs the go-ahead to conduct tests and start training.

However, the frequency on when the tests will be conducted is yet to be agreed on. CAF recommended periodic testing as part of the return to football protocol.

Sources believe due to the prohibitive costs, ZIFA and the Premier Soccer League are likely to settle for once a month testing.

The clubs have been encouraged to be more thorough with their daily temperature checking and monitoring of symptoms while maintaining all the health regulations such as social distancing and sanitising.

The local football authorities have been pushing for the game to be played before the end of the year and the medical committee has been busy putting in place the logistics.

ZIFA are keen for the tournament to take place to allow players and national team coach Zdravko Logarusic to prepare for the upcoming CHAN tournament set for January in Cameroon.

The truncated football season will be played in a tournament format. The competition will be held in a bubble over a period of two weeks but the possibility of the tournament going ahead is still shrouded in uncertainty as ZIFA are failing to find partners to sponsor transport, accommodation, food and other cost centres that have been caused by the emergence of Covid-19.

ZIFA have indicated they can only afford to pay for the CPR tests and the referees.

The association’s president, Felton Kamambo told our sister paper, The Sunday Mail, that the dates for the bio-bubble tournament were still not certain.

“We can’t confirm the kick-off date for now,” Kamambo said at the weekend.

“A lot is being done to make sure this bio-bubble tournament goes on.

“We have approached a number of corporates for funding, but nothing concrete has come out. The PSL is looking for potential sponsors as well.

“It is still work in progress”.