Zimpapers Logo

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international and versatile AS Vita Club midfielder Oscar Machapa has backed his former club CAPS United to end their 11-year wait to claim the Castle Lager Premiership title and believes the Green Machine would be involved in a two-horse race with leaders FC Platinum.

FC Platinum lead the log standings with 39 points, two ahead of CAPS United after 19 games.

Bulawayo giants Highlanders are third with 32 points with Triangle (30 points) and ZPC Kariba 28 points in fourth and fifth places respectively.

Machapa ruled out another of his former teams — Dynamos (sixth with 28 points) — from launching a late charge on the championship arguing that Lloyd Mutasa’s men lack the kind of character shown by previous DeMbare sides.

The big defender, who is equally at home in a defensive midfield role, is back in the country after completing a fine season with AS Vita Club whom he helped finish a close second behind eventual champions TP Mazembe.

That runners-up spot also ensured that the Congolese giants would have another crack at the 2017 Champions League competition and a chance to atone for the ignominy of being disqualified by the Confederation of African Football for use of an ineligible player.

South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns were instead thrown in as replacements and coach Pitso Mosimane and his Brazilians have since grabbed the opportunity with both hands to reach the Champions League group stage.

“Generally it was a good season for us. But everyone in the team was disappointed about what happened to us in the Champions League.

“Fortunately, the club owners addressed us and motivated us, challenging us to use the lessons learnt to win the league or at least qualify for the Champions League.

“So, by finishing second and a point behind TP Mazembe we are guaranteed of a place in the Champions League.

“In football it is all about how the players are motivated and that is what makes us better players and I think in that regard most of the local clubs are still lagging behind.

“Players just need to feel appreciated when they do good and it is also important to be told of the wrong things that you would have done as it also builds you,’’ Machapa said.

But it is the club he served on two different spells on the domestic front and which remains very close to his heart — CAPS United — that Machapa believe are still in good shape to end a long barren spell without a championship title.

Machapa applauded CAPS president Farai Jere and his leadership for bringing back Lloyd Chitembwe as coach and reckoned “it was a master stroke that would reap results’’.

Jere, to his credit, has battled in a challenging economy to ensure CAPS United stay afloat, remain competitive and also stay focused on arguably their best title chase in over seven years.

“I think CAPS United are in a better position to win the championship than they have been for a number of years now . . . I think they have the capacity in terms of depth and quality of players.

“Even though times are hard you can see that they are fighting hard and they are united in their mission.

“Having Lloyd back at CAPS United was a masterstroke, it was a great decision because Lloyd knows everything about CAPS United and he understands the challenges that the club sometimes faces and he knows how to get around some of those challenges’’.

Machapa said Chitembwe’s record at CAPS United was evidence enough to back the assertion that he is the right man to lead their technical department at the moment.

“When you look at his times with the club you can see that we were always fighting for something when he was in charge.

“It must be remembered that it was during his time that we did well to provide seven players to the national team and at the same time had eight of us ensuring contracts in South Africa’’.

Machapa said he was also a great admirer of Chitembwe’s policy of blending youth with experience and added that he also noted that philosophy in FC Platinum gaffer Norman Mapeza.

“I have noticed that in our PSL most clubs claim that they want to succeed by using young players, but using youngsters alone can win you games, but not the league championship,’’ Machapa said.