LLOYD Chitembwe, pictured, yesterday vowed to bring Harare giants CAPS United back to its former glory days after finally being unveiled as the club’s new head coach on a three-year deal.
Chitembwe replaces his former assistant Darlington Dodo, who was sacked last week together with his technical staff, following a spate of poor results in the Chibuku Super Cup which saw them eliminated in the group stages.
The Green Machine found the going tough in the Chibuku Cup, only managing just two wins, six draws and three defeats in the ten matches they played to trigger Dodo’s dismissal.
Chitembwe returns to Makepekepe two years after dumping the club for Harare City and will bring with him his usual backroom staff of Nelson Matongorere, Tostao Kwashi, Tonderai Marume, goalkeeper’s coach Zivanai Kawadza and fitness trainer Thulani Saidi.
This is the third time that Chitembwe is returning to the Green Machine as a coach where he led them to their last championship in 2016. And after keeping the deal under the wraps for the past few days Chitembwe was unveiled yesterday and immediately got down to serious business.
“It’s an honour and a great opportunity for me to be back and I’m looking forward to the experience and I will be bringing with me a different kind of motivation and ambition to the team,” Chitembwe said.
“I will bring the desire and ambition that I had as a player and a coach for this club which is to win titles.
“Football is my livelihood and l hopes all the players see it the same way and we want players to see CAPS United as an opportunity and a vehicle to fulfill our ambitions of winning titles.
“CAPS United is one of the big clubs in the country and it deserves to be at the top and to constantly win titles and that is what l want to bring back to this club.”
Chitembwe said he will build his team around the current squad left by sacked Dodo as he sees potential in some of the players.
“I agreed to come back because l see the potential and ambition in the players that are there. I haven’t worked with most of these players but l has watched a few games and when we played them with Harare city,” he said.
“I can see the potential in these players and it is my dream and ambition to work with such players and try my best to improve them.”
CAPS United chairman Farai Jere immediately threw his weight behind Chitembwe by promising to support him.
Jere said they want Chitembwe to build a competitive team that can challenge for honours.
“Today is a special day for the CAPS United family. We are having our prodigal son back,” Jere said.
“It’s a special day because Chitembwe has proved to be one of the best coaches which we have around. His track record is there for us to see from the time he was a player at CAPS United. He was one guy who had the ambition to win and get results.
“We want him to come up with a team with players with the character of winning titles.
“He will work with players who are already here but he is going to come up with his team when the transfer window is around the corner.
“We need to give him time, that’s why we gave him a three-year contract. We want to make the multitude of CAPS United supporters happy again by winning titles.”
Cloud Fusire
SPORTS WRITER