CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe has demanded a big response from this side following last week’s defeat by Dynamos, when they take on Yadah FC in a league match at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow.
The Green Machine succumbed to their first defeat of the season in losing 2 – 0 and consequently surrendered top spot on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League to Highlanders. The weekend defeat meant that Makepekepe have gone three matches without a win.
With log leaders Highlanders in action on Sunday, third-placed Caps United will reclaim top spot for at least 24 hours with a win.
Second-placed Ngezi Platinum will play their week eight fixture on Wednesday next week.
“A positive response is what we are looking forward to and with the way that we have prepared, the boys have given me assurance that it’s possible to correct the mishap of last week,” Chitembwe said.
“What is critical is to understand how we lost the match. It was not a consequence of a poor performance. I thought we played quite well, the performance was very good but we conceded from two technical mistakes and that was the difference.
“I am sure there were certain moments of the game that we dominated and there were certain moments of the game that we did not manage particularly well, especially the first goal and I also thought the second goal could have been avoided. So overall, I am sure the boys are aware as to how it happened and what should have been done to avoid such a situation.”
Chitembwe feels that the team is over the disappointment of losing to DeMbare and has been focused on the Yadah match all week long.
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“It has never taken us 24 hours to celebrate the wins that we have registered and surely it doesn't take us 24 hours to be stuck in that position of disappointment. I am sure we have gone past that and the focus now is on Yadah and we are looking forward to the game,” he said.
It has been a much better start to the season for the Green Machine this time around and they have looked like serious title contenders thus far having managed three wins, three draws and a defeat.
They are two points behind pacesetters Highlanders, who also have a game in hand.
Yadah FC have struggled since the start of the season in which they are building after losing a number of top players and their coach Genesis Mangombe who is now an assistant at Dynamos.
However, they have received plaudits for playing an exciting brand of football and Chitembwe was full of praise for the Miracle Boys.
“I am the kind of a person who enjoys the way Yadah plays. They play football the way it should be played and they play with a lot of imagination, so it will be very interesting to see two teams that have the same kind of philosophy in the way they play. It will be interesting to see how we compete against Yadah,” he said.
Fixtures
Today: Simba Bhora v Cranborne Bullets (NSS)
Tomorrow: Green Fuel v ZPC Kariba (Gibbo); FC Platinum v Manica Diamonds (Mandava); Chicken Inn v Herentals (Luveve); Yadah v Caps United (NSS)
Sunday: Dynamos v Triangle (NSS); Sheasham v Highlanders (Bata Stadium); Hwange v Bulawayo Chiefs (Colliery)
Wednesday: Black Rhinos v Ngezi Platinum Stars (NSS)
