Takesure Chiragwi is optimistic that Caps United can finally end a decade-long trophy drought and reclaim their proud heritage as the undisputed "Cup Kings" of local football.
The Green Machine coach believes his side has struck form at the exact right moment to write a new chapter in the club's history, as recent momentum fuels a surge across both domestic cup competitions and a fading league campaign.
Caps United’s last silverware arrived when Lloyd Chitembwe led them to the 2016 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.
For a side steeped in the romanticised tradition of knockout football, the intervening years have felt like a protracted exercise in frustration. Yet, after stringing together three consecutive victories for the first time in two months to reach the quarter-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup and the Round of 16 in the inaugural Zifa Munhumutapa Cup, Chiragwi is confident a historic breakthrough is within reach.
"The club has a very strong history in terms of winning trophies," Chiragwi said. "What is important is to look at the current situation and the current squad, because if you look at the players and the generations before them, are totally different. But I have told the players that, 'look guys, if you have the opportunity to participate, we really need to do our job.' We need to make sure that we can try and get back, probably to add a trophy to the club cabinet. It's also important for us to make our own history. So we've got the opportunity to do that because we are still involved in those two Cups and also again in the league. We still have the chance to make sure that we can add maybe one or two trophies in the history of the club."
The optimism marks a dramatic turnaround for Chiragwi, who had come under intense pressure following an alarming mid-season collapse.
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The Harare giants began the league campaign with a breathless fluency that briefly cast aside years of underachievement, topping the table and raising supporters’ expectations to dizzying heights.
However, that early promise steadily unravelled.
Despite a cathartic 4-2 victory over Highlanders three weeks ago, a dismal stretch of just three wins in 15 matches saw them tumble to sixth place, 11 points adrift of log leaders Scottland with eight matches remaining.
With the league title now little more than a mathematical improbability, the club has decisively pivoted towards domestic cup competitions as an essential vehicle for redemption.
Their recent resurgence—comprising the win over Highlanders, a 6-0 demolition of Scottland U19 in the Zifa Munhumutapa Cup a fortnight ago, and a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Simba Bhora in the Chibuku Super Cup on Saturday—has reignited their season.
Despite their storied legacy, United remain the country’s only traditional giant yet to lift the Chibuku Super Cup since its 2014 relaunch, with their best modern effort being a semi-final appearance in 2023. Meanwhile, the Zifa Munhumutapa Cup carries profound continental implications, offering the tournament winners a coveted ticket to next season's CAF Confederation Cup.
"It's the desire of every coach to make sure that when you're in football, you need to win silverware," Chiragwi added. "So at the end of the day, if we can manage to get through and also fighting to end the season in a respectable position, it's also very important for the club and also for the fans. It's also good for us, especially coming to the end of the season and we are starting to do well for the club, which is also good for us."
Attention now turns back to the bread and butter of the Castle Lager Premier Socver League with a tricky trip to Bulawayo Chiefs this weekend, where United will look to avenge a 1-0 defeat in May's reverse fixture at Rufaro Stadium and keep their revival rolling.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday 25 fixtures.
Tomorrow: Dynamos v Scottland (Rufaro), Highlanders v Chicken Inn (Barbourfields).
Matchday 27 fixtures.
Saturday: MWOS v Zpc Kariba (Ngoni), Fc Platinum v Agama (Mandava), Simba Bhora v Scottland (Wadzanayi), Fc Hunters v Hardrock (Rufaro), Bulawayo Chiefs v Caps United (Luveve), TelOne v Triangle (Ascot).
Sunday: Manica Diamonds v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Sakubva), Highlanders v Herentals (Barbourfields), Dynamos v Chicken Inn (Rufaro).