The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
While Lloyd Chitembwe cuts the image of a gritty and firm coach, there is a softer side to the CAPS United gaffer.
This follows revelations that Lloyd was a “mummy’s boy’’. Apparently, the gaffer is still to fully come to grips with the death of his mother, Gogo Josephine Chitembwe.
Gogo Chitembwe passed away after a long battle with illness in May 2018. She was Senator for Harare province and was Lloyd’s pillar of strength.
While Chitembwe is commemorating the first anniversary of the passing on of a woman who was the rock upon which his life was literally built, CAPS United have also hit a slump.
CAPS United will face debutants TelOne at the National Sports Stadium today as they seek to stem a two-match winless run during which they have fallen by identical 3-1 defeats to Chicken Inn and Herentals at their fortress.
Lloyd’s wife, Pelagia Chitembwe gave The Sunday Mail Sport an insight into the coach’s demanding life and revealed that the inconsistency that has characterised CAPS United’s 2019 Premiership campaign to date could be tied to her husband’s healing process following the death of his mother.
Mai Chitembwe believes that had Gogo Chitembwe been alive, she would have been the best person to emotionally stand by the troubled coach.
She doubts her ability to fill in her mother in-law’s shoes.
“Lloyd was very close to his mother and watching her ill every day emotionally tore him apart, let alone the death.
“But football has been contributing to his healing. There are players and fans that look up to him.
“Many times I have watched him pretend that all is well out there but back at home we know what he is going through. We have been doing our best to console him after the loss but l don’t think its enough.
“For some time, when the boys were in fine form it helped, but then they lost consistency.
“Chitembwe takes out his football emotions at home. He is glued to the television and quietly watches games until late in the night.
“On the pitch he is believed to vent out his emotions on his boys.
“She (Gogo Chitembwe) taught me a lot and installed soccer in my heart. I enjoy travelling with Lloyd. l enjoy being there and supporting him as he does the thing that he loves most.
“Gogo loved CAPS and would help him make some decisions. Whatever the case would be, she would say, ‘Lloyd, we are CAPS United, do not forget our green hearts’.
“It was through her that Lloyd returned to coach CAPS.
“We were very close too, she would ask me to sit on her bedside and together with Lloyd, we would talk and laugh for hours,” said Mai Chitembwe.
When Gogo Chitembwe fell ill, her son and his wife temporarily moved in to stay with her.
However, watching his heroine battle for life was tough for Chitembwe.
“Every day when Lloyd got home, he would go into her bedroom first. They would talk and laugh and his face would glow each time he emerged from there. He was always happy when she was around,” she said with teary eyes.
A section of some impatient CAPS fans have not helped his case, with one group mounting the National Sports Stadium exit point last Saturday as they called for Chitembwe’s resignation.
Despite being a target of some of his club’s fans, Chitembwe has not had the kind of season that justifies such action.
Chitembwe bagged the first Coach of the month accolade for the 2019 Premiership season and won the combined gong for March-April. CAPS are currently just a point behind log leaders Chicken Inn after just 11 weeks of action.
“I feel this season comes as a special tribute to mama – she prayed for his career until her last day. My prayer today as the boys prepare to face Telone, is for them to get back to their winning ways.
“Together with my girls, we wish the boys could do it for him and bring him joy.
“When he retreats into his soul searching mode, it is never easy for all of us,” Mai Chitembwe said.
