BY MAGRETH RUZVIDZO
CAPS United are expecting to end their winless run when they get into action in the Group 1 Chibuku Super Cup tournament against Yadah at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.
Coach Darlington Dodo said his side was primed for the showdown.
“Preparations have gone well and we are ready to go for the three points against Yadah. Yes, we drew with Yadah, but that was our first game after a very long time. Now that we at least have a picture of the composition of Yadah, we are better off in terms of planning and strategising,” he said.
“We are glad that we have resumed and the rest, we will take care in training and playing games.”
Valentine Musarurwa and Phenias Bamusi are both out injured.
Caps currently sit on second position with seven points, four behind leaders Dynamos.
During the break, Yadah took the opportunity to restrategise as they aim to clinch one of the spots to the quarterfinals.
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In an interview, Yadah FC coach Genesis Mangombe said playing every week had begun to take its toll on the players.
“The suspension didn’t affect us very much, we played five games without a break as we played during the midweek and weekend. We were now feeling the load and we felt we needed time to rest and re-strategise,” he said.
“We now have fresh minds and we are ready to go. We have been working on our mistakes, especially that Caps United game, and we have managed to see the best combinations of players, particularly when we are playing a big team like Caps United. I’ll have time to go back and replay that match and see exactly where we made blunders and where we need adjustments.”
Mangombe stressed the importance of staying focused considering his team threw away a two-goal cushion to share spoils with Caps United in their first Group 1 match.
“When playing with big teams like Caps, we don’t need to relax until the end of the game,” he said.
“We are ready and we are not going to be pushovers, we are going to show that we mean business when it comes to playing. To my advantage, there are no fans inside the stadium, which is actually good since my team has a limited fan base as compared to Caps, so we are going to play a flowing game.
“That previous game alone was a wake-up call for my boys. They know that when playing big teams and you get a chance to lead, you have to protect what you have. We are going to make sure that if we happen to get one score ahead, we will make sure that we don’t concede, that’s the mental strength we need to have.”
Yadah have five points only, two better than bottom-placed Herentals.
Harare City and ZPC Kariba are also in the same pool.
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