CAPS United players have an early Christmas present, after they were rewarded handsomely for winning the championship for the first time in 11 years, with club president Farai Jere resolving that the team will share 50% of the $100 000 total prize money.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
“Everyone is happy with the achievement. 11 years has been a long wait really! The team will share 50% of the prize money,” team manager, Shakespeare Chinogwenya, said yesterday. “The president said the other half will be ploughed back and will benefit the players and coaches.”
Jere is also set to meet with the supporters on Thursday to thank them for rooting the team throughout the season culminating in them, finally ending an 11-year wait for the championship in spite of the challenges they faced along the way.
After the meeting with the supporters, there is going to be a roadshow, where the trophy will be paraded in Harare on Saturday before it is taken to the National Sports Stadium — their home ground where the Caps family will converge and have a braai.
Caps United finished the season without tasting a defeat at the National Sports Stadium, which they turned into a fortress since Lloyd Chitembwe assumed the managerial reins in September last year, following the departure of Englishman, Mark Harrisson.
The championship success is Chitembwe’s first since he started his coaching career. He has also written a glorious page for himself, as he becomes the first Caps United coach to win the championship both as a player and coach.
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The former Warriors midfielder was part of the all-conquering Caps United squad of 1996. The Caps United gaffer also played a key role as Makepekepe went on to win back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005 under Charles Mhlauri.
Yesterday, the Soccer Coaches Union of Zimbabwe congratulated Chitembwe and his team for the success.
“The president of the Soccer Coaches Union Zimbabwe (Scuz), Moses Chunga and his entire executive would like to congratulate Lloyd Chitembwe, his technical team and the Caps United FC family on winning the 2016 edition of the PSL,” the statement reads. “We wish them the best in the Africa Safari. Scuz also applauds, Norman Mapeza and FC Platinum for fighting up to the last day of the season. We say to the coaches of the other losing teams, don’t lose heart, your teams will live to fight another day in the forthcoming season.”
The Green Machine were crowned PSL champions on Saturday, following a 1-0 win over Chapungu at Ascot Stadium.
They finished with 63 points from 30 matches, losing only three times and had 18 wins.
United went into Saturday’s match needing a victory of any margin to beat closest challengers FC Platinum to the championship. And they did just that, with striker, Simba Nhivi deciding the contest two minutes into the match with the only goal, to give them the crown and the $100 000 jackpot.
Nhivi was on target in the previous match against Ngezi Platinum, which the Harare giants needed to win to stay on top ahead of the final match of the season.
Caps United will participate in the Caf Champions League next year.
