The Sunday News
Ishemunyoro Chingwere, Harare Bureau
SCEPTICISM is abound within Caps United as the Zimbabwean champions prepare to take on Lesotho’s Lioli in the CAF Champions League preliminary round second leg tie at the National Sports this afternoon.
Makepekepe were last weekend held to a goalless draw away in Maseru and will today need an outright win to proceed to the first round proper of Africa’s premier club competition. The reigning champion’s last appearance was back in 2006.
Coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s desperate need for goals this afternoon has ignited debate as to whether the team’s striking duo of Dominic Chungwa or Simba Nhivi have what it takes to replace Leonard Tsipa as the main striker or at the very least inspire United all the way into African club football royalty. The 35-year-old Tsipa inspired Caps United to the 2016 league crown with 11 goals but is not available for Chitembwe in the continental sojourn after he was de-registered when it appeared he will not be part of the team by embarking on an unsuccessful club hunting mission in Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In his absence, Chitembwe has to call on the services of the stocky Chungwa or Nhivi to lead the search for goals which they desperately need today. The duo flattered to deceive in Maseru last weekend with Chungwa playing the entire 90 minutes while Nhivi was introduced in the last 30 minutes.
The 31-year-old Chungwa joined Makepekepe amid high expectation after scoring a whopping 36 goals in one season for Hippo Valley in Division One. He managed 10 goals in his debut season and just six in 2014.
Chitembwe’s other option, Nhivi has been struggling to reach the heights of 2011, which saw the now 26-year-old join Mamelodi Sundowns on a five year contract after scoring 10 goals in 11 outings for Makepekepe.
Chitembwe on Thursday said in as much as Tsipa’s contribution can never be trivialised, he is surprised his contribution is now appreciated.
“I am surprised you now speak of him (Tsipa) so glowingly because he is not playing this match, but he is the same player I got serious criticism for fielding,” said Chitembwe.
“Obviously you can never tone down his contribution last season but then I thought it was more to do with the team than him as an individual. If you look at this team you will see that a lot of players would always pop up with goals at different stages last year so the guys that will play on Sunday can continue like that. I don’t want to single out Dominic and Simba (Nhivi) but I hope whoever plays will give us the same hunger as Leonard had and the team will support him in the same way they did with Leonard,” he said.
Chitembwe is known for getting the best out of players whose fortunes would have nose-dived and the attacking duo might be the latest additions to the coach’s magic touch. Besides Tsipa, goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda who was banished from the game for three years for his alleged role in the Asiagate match fixing scam and How Mine outcast Devon Chafa successfully revived their careers under Chitembwe last season.
United welcome playmaker Joel Ngodzo and defensive midfielder Kudzai Nyamupfukudza who missed the first leg after an administrative mix up on their identity particulars.
Lioli coach Halemakale Mahlaha said he is expecting hell from the Zimbabwe champions but is hopeful his men still retain hope of causing an upset.
“We expect the most difficult match imaginable, Caps are a good side but as good as they are and for all their strengths, they also have weaknesses. We saw those weaknesses in the first leg and our hope is to utilise them to win the match,” he said.
