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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

CAPS UNITED players have shown a great deal of hunger to succeed at every turn with the majority of them staying behind to do extra training much to the delight of coach Lloyd Chitembwe. 

After abstaining from team training in January and early February due to some financial quarrels at the Premiership football club, the Green Machine players took some time to gel in the process losing some games, including the 6-2 humbling by leaders Manica Diamonds three weeks ago. 

But they have found a way to crawl back into competition after winning their last two games against WhaWha and Bulawayo City. 

“If there is one area that we have improved as a team, that obviously has to be the attitude of the team,” said Chitembwe. 

“You see the players remaining behind just to do some extra work. That tells you are really working with players who are focused. 

“The players have been doing this ever since I came in so I am very happy to be working with such kind of players who are very positive in what they are doing.” 

And it is that kind of attitude that Chitembwe is demanding from his charges ahead of their Castle Lager Premier Soccer league match against Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday. 

This game will test Makepekepe’s resolve at a time they seem to have picked up good form. 

Bosso themselves are also coming from a big win over Herentals and they will be hoping to stop Makepekepe on Sunday. 

Chitembwe is fully aware of the threat the Bulawayo giants pose but maintains confidence his team will come out victors. 

“There has really been nothing very special which we have been telling our players other than the fact that these matches need to be won.

“We need to do what is necessary so that we go out there and be competitive. 

“It takes tactical efficiency to come out with a positive result in a match like this. Being tactically aware and good is what takes for you to win such kind of matches. We just have to make sure that we achieve that. This is not going to be very easy. 

“We have thoroughly prepared ourselves for the encounter and we will have to make mistakes at a minimum. We are ready for the game but it certainly going to be a tough battle.

“Morale does not win games. What wins matches is obviously the kind of preparations that you would have put in the team and in my case I am very happy with what I have seen in this group as far as attitude is concerned.” 

The last time Bosso played Makepekepe at the same venue three years ago, it was the hosts who posted an impressive 2-1 victory but for Chitembwe that means nothing if his charges fail to apply themselves in Sunday’s match. 

The gaffer is also uninterested by the fact that the Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu side has failed to win let alone score a single goal in all the matches they have played away from home. 

“I am not a historian, I am a coach and I don’t look at what happened in the past, every game presents its own challenges. Football matches are never the same. 

“This is a new game altogether and we should be geared up to the challenge. That Highlanders haven’t won or scored a goal away from home is neither here nor there. That won’t, in any way, affect them as a team when they face us. 

“At some point they will obviously score and maybe they will score against us so we are focused on the match without looking at things like that. 

“We have to work on what we can control, preparing the team physically, tactically, technically and mentally.” 

Chitembwe has a full complement of his squad to pick the team to face Highlanders from, a situation he has described as encouraging.