Taurai Mangwiro
Sports Reporter
CAPS United newboy Allen Gahadzikwa believes there is healthy competition in the team with everyone working extra hard so that they are recognised by the coaches when the season begins in a month’s time.
The club has gone on a recruitment drive and acquired a number of players thus creating a strong fight when the competition finally kicks off.
This afternoon the Green Machine will take on Harare City in the Zimbabwe National Army Charities Shield and CAPS United newcomers said they are ready to play for their new family.
For the past two weeks the club was in neighbouring Mozambique for a pre-season tour an adventure which Gahadzikwa said brought everyone closer.
“The competition is there and everyone is working very hard so that they get a chance to play and I believe this will work to the club’s advantage as there’s no room to relax.
“I think it’s a big challenge for the players and we’re here to fight.
“The tour helped us and there was team work and unity and the old players welcomed us warmly and we’re feeling at home. The focus is now playing and winning matches.
The former FC Platinum midfielder said he is not at the club to make numbers but want to win medals.
“I think I joined this team to win medals not to add numbers. I want to add value, achieve success and I am hungry for that,” he said.
Gahadzikwa will fight for a place in the department which also has new arrivals in the form of Devon Chafa, Cabby Kamhapa, Abbas Amidu, Archieford Gutu and Tafadzwa Rusike.
Former ZPC Kariba defender Dennis Dauda said they have set their sights on winning the trophy.
“It’s a crucial game and our first competitive match. We have to win the Cup and we will fight for it. It would be a tough game though.
“Personally, I’m not promising much but I will help fight for the league title which was won long back,” said Dauda.
The former Soccer Star of the Year said he is already in the groove and no longer feels like a new man at the club.
The former Triangle midfielder Kamhapa said they are wary of Harare City but will throw everything at their opponents.
“As you can see they’ve been playing very well Harare City and scoring a lot of goals in the Confederation Cup so we have to be at our best.
“We have good and experienced who can carry the day for us,” he said.
CAPS United will be seeking to progress to the semi finals at the expense of buoyant Harare City who have progressed to the first round of the Confederation Cup.
The Green Machine coach Lloyd Chitembwe said all the players are available for selection expect for striker Simba Nhivi who has a tooth ache.
The coach said the player selected at any time should give the best for the club.
City coach Taurai Mangwiro said the match is a different ball together.
“It is a game in which we would want to do well and it is our first local competitive game. We have the advantage that we have played in the Confederation Cup but this is a different ball altogether.
“We will go in there with a strong squad and we will give it our best,” he said.
There are a lot of sub plots going into this match with Harare City gaffer Mangwiro, a former CAPS United coach as well as his assistant Mkhupali “Mr Cooper” who was again his deputy at the Green Machine.
A number of players such as Tendai Samanja, Tafadzwa Dube also crossed the floor with Mangwiro to Town House.
But Mangwiro said it is game on.
“We would be rivals for 90minutes but there is no animosity. I saved CAPS United with all my heart and there are no hard no feelings.
They lost players to Harare City and we also lost Phineas Bamusi to them so it is game on,” said Mangwiro.
Mangwiro said he will miss the strike force pair of Francesco Zekumbawire and Kuda Kumwala who picked some injuries in Madagascar.