The Sunday Mail
AT Augusta the green blazer is a symbol of excellence, a piece of clothing that is revered and reserved for golfers who drive, putt and chip that small white ball to The Masters title.
At Caps United a green blazer is just that – a blazer.
It’s a rare commodity and among of the few one can spot, complete with the club logo, when Makepekepe plays will most likely be an old one that appears to be a burden on the shoulders of Leonard Tsipa’s father.
But if Makepekepe had a green blazer as the ultimate symbol of honour, their coach Lloyd Chitembwe would have received it by now in appreciation for working twice as much for half as much this term.
How Chitembwe has managed to keep the Green Machine working despite an erratic supply of oil and occasional stand offs between the owner of the machine and the most important part of this machine – the players – is a miracle.
But ever modest Chitembwe brushes it off as if its kindergarten stuff.
“Honestly, it all goes down to the kind of relationship I have with my boss Farai Jere and my players,” he said.
Prior to his second and current spell as Makepekepe, gaffer Chitembwe was in some circles accused of lacking the thick skin needed to make it as a coach.
It was easy to view him as a short tempered quitter and there were tonnes of evidence to back that stance.
However, the Chitembwe came out a different man as he took over Caps United for the second time towards the end of last season.
The first sign of a new man was the absence of temper.
A coach, who in his other life easily pulled the f-word on his players, for both big and small misdemeanors, was churning the football cliché “tough luck” at every turn. But the real test was always going to come when the going got tough.
And this year each day is tougher than the last at Makepekepe.
Salaries are being delayed and the players, once in a while, make their misgivings known – snubbing training and threatening not to fulfill fixtures. The Chitembwe of old would have walked under such circumstances especially after receiving an offer as lucrative as the one that was waved in his face by a Tanzanian club recently.
“It’s not all about money. There is nothing a coach enjoys more than knowing that your boss or president trusts you even in difficult times. My players also respect me and I have belief in them,” said Chitembwe.
The high regard in which Makepekepe players view they mentor played out at the National Sports Stadium last weekend.
As his players, captained by Moses Muchenje but in all honesty led by Hardlife Zvirekwi, staged some industrial action ahead of the Chibuku Cup first round clash against Tsholotsho the Caps mentor, not for the first time this season, found himself in a fix.
His lads were refusing to take to the park until they got paid their outstanding salaries at best, or addressed by the club bosses at worse. But with the bosses remaining glued to their seats, feigning ignorance Chitembwe stepped up and called his troops to battle.
“Listen mates, the bosses don’t look like they are coming so I am asking you to go out there to play for yourselves, am asking you to go out there and play for me,” he said.
The Caps United players got up like troopers and told their gaffer that they were lacing up their boots for him and him alone – not even for their sake.
“Takungoitira imimi mudhara, isusu hatina pressure. (We are doing this for you, on our part we really don’t care if this game goes on or does not go on),” replied one of the most respected players in that dressing room.
The relationship between Chitembwe and his players has kept Caps United firmly in the championship equation and they intend to give it a real good go.
“Now I can confidently say we are in it big time. Caps United is no longer an ordinary team, we now have a squad capable of challenging for the title for three or four consecutive seasons.
“Yes, FC Platinum have an upper hand this season but we will give them a good run for their money,” said the Caps United coach.
