The Sunday Mail
CAPS UNITED president Twine Phiri has revealed that he will not be influenced by the growing sentiment among the Makepekepe faithful that the next coach should be a former player of the four-time league champions.
Makepekepe are hunting for a new coach to replace Taurai Mangwiro who dumped the financially-crippled Green Machine for Harare City last week and Phiri told The Sunday Mail that he will appoint “the right coach regardless of his roots.”
A list of Makepekepe sons has been thrown up for consideration in the wake of Mangwiro’s departure, with the likes of Lloyd Chitembwe, Brenna Msiska, Alois Bunjira, Friday Phiri, Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa and Joseph “Shabba” Takaringofa prominent among those being touted as possible successors to Mangwiro.
Solomon Kaseke, one of the respected football brains on the local scene and best remembered for masterminding Shabanie Mine’s shock 2-1 victory over Dynamos in the 2001 BP League Cup final, has also been mentioned.
The coaching post has perennially been a delicate issue at Caps United ever since the club last won the league title in 2005 under the revered Charles Mhlauri.
A large section of the club’s multitude of fans are demanding a coach with strong Makepekepe roots and their volatile relationship with the departed Mangwiro, a former Dynamos player, in the past season was testimony of their growing resentment.
Moses “Bambo” Chunga also suffered the same fate in 2011, departing in a huff following incessant pressure from fans who doubted his commitment to the club given his strong ties with DeMbare
However, Phiri has stated that the fans’ sentiments will not influence his decision and promised that his executive would appoint “the right man for the job.”
“This is a delicate issue. I know our fans have been clamouring for the appointment of a coach with strong Makepekepe links, but we have to make a business decision.
“Caps United is a big brand which cannot continue to fight for position three or four perennially. We also need to win cups and to achieve that we will need a respectable coach, one who is in the same mould as Mangwiro or better.
“It will not matter whether he is a former player of the club or not because if you look back in history, you will realise that the coaches who have brought major success to Caps were not sons of this team
“Steve Kwashi never played for Makepekepe and Mhlauri never donned the green and white jersey in his short playing career, but look at their achievements. So, sometimes it is not about sentiment, but about business,” said Phiri.
Kwashi won Caps United’s second league title ever in 1996 with a star-studded squad that comprised the likes of skipper Joe “Kode” Mugabe, Lloyd Chitembwe, Stewart Murisa, Farai Mbidzo, Alois Bunjira and Silver Chigwenje.
Mhlauri won back to back titles in 2004 and 2005 with a rare breed of players like Cephas Chimedza, David Sengu, Brian Badza, Leonard Tsipa, Raymond Undi, Ashley Rambanapasi and the Zambian duo of Laughter Chilembe and Ian Bakala.
Makepekepe fans argue that the club should draw its coaches from this pool of former players and feel the Phiri-led executive has not afforded its sons enough coaching apprenticeship.
Apart from the coaching crisis, Phiri, whose club’s bank balance hovers in the red zone, has to grapple with a seemingly inevitable mass exodus of players who are reportedly “fed-up” with the dire financial situation at the club.
Caps United players are reportedly owed thousands of dollars in outstanding signing-on fees, unpaid salaries and winning bonuses backdating to more than six months.
Outstanding goalie Tafadzwa Dube, Soccer Star of the Year finalist Tendai Samanja and striker Dominic Chungwa have been linked with moves away from the club, while talented attacker Kelvin Bulaji is reportedly finalising his move to DeMbare.
The departure of Mangwiro, for long regarded as the centre that held Makepekepe intact in turbulent times and a coach who commanded huge respect amongst the key players, has also worsened the club’s retention capacity.
