The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
CAPS UNITED have their Premiership life guaranteed and are in no mood to do their troubled city rivals Dynamos any favours.
Put bluntly, Makepekepe don’t feel sorry that DeMbare are battling relegation. They are eager to collect maximum points at Rufaro today.
After all, this may be the last instalment of the famed Harare Derby for a while as Dynamos’ relegation from the top flight league is a real possibility.
For the Caps family, sending DeMbare closer to the guillotine is something they are ready to toast to.
“As Caps United we have our own constituency to protect; a constituency we have to protect with integrity, passion and determination.
“So every time we play Dynamos, the players understand that a certain constituency has to be protected, a constituency that is different from that of Dynamos.
“I am sure that is the same ideology they have as Dynamos to protect their constituency,” said Caps coach Lloyd Chitembwe.
Chitembwe is unconcerned by the challenges facing DeMbare and is optimistic the two sides will produce a derby to remember.
“It’s difficult for me to comment about what is happening at Dynamos, and it will be unprofessional of me to say something on the other team,” he said.
“What I know is that this is an important fixture on the Zimbabwean calendar; a very special fixture for both teams, and one that always makes a difference.
“From experience these are the kind of games that keeps players dreaming and it is not a secret that both sets of players always want to have the bragging rights at the end of the day.”
Caps United narrowly won the reverse fixture — ironically then on-loan midfielder Denver Mukamba making the difference in a 1-0 victory. Mukamba has returned to DeMbare were he is being a nuisance — as usual.
Chitembwe, who had seemingly managed to get the best out of Mukamba before he reverted to his bad boy antics, could not be drawn into commenting on the diminutive midfielder.
“It won’t be fair for me to comment about Denver because he is no longer my player and does not belong to us.
“All I can say is that he was once a very big part of the team, it won’t be professional for me to say much else,” said Chitembwe.
Having lost almost the entire team at the start of the season, Chitembwe is content with progress in the green half of the city and has set his sights on a top four finish.
“After losing such a number of players, I think we are at a level where I personally wanted the team to be at.
“For us the target has been a top four finish and to win each and every single game we play. That will not change because we are playing a wounded Dynamos,” he said. Makepekepe’s preparations were boosted by the return to training of striker John Zhuwawo, who had been grounded by an ankle injury.
