CAPS United are desperate to get maximum points when they take on visiting USM Alger in a Caf Champions League Group B football match at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow, as they seek to get their continental campaign back on track.
BY HENRY MHARA
The Green Machine had a bad start to their group campaign, losing 2-0 to Egyptians giants Zamalek a fortnight ago, which left them second from bottom in a group which also has Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya.
The Libyans are bottom of the group after losing their opening match 3-0 to Caps United’s next opponents who top the pile.
Midfielder Moses Muchenje, speaking after the team’s training session at the match venue on Sunday, said they would do everything in their powers to bounce back into the race for a ticket to the quarter-finals of the competition.
The top two teams in the four groups qualify to the last eight.
“We are looking forward to it. It’s one game that we must win at all costs, considering we lost in Egypt. The Zamalek game is now water under the bridge,” he said.
“We have shifted focus to the next assignment, which is our match against the team from Algeria. Morale is very high in camp.”
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Club president Farai Jere attended the team’s training session and addressed the players.
“There is nothing much he (Jere) said. He was just wishing us the best of luck on Wednesday,” Muchenje said.
He said they needed to improve drastically from their showing against Zamalek, which saw them conceding through goalkeeping blunders by Edmore Sibanda.
While the big goalkeeper has received a lot of criticism for the errors, it is at the other end of the field that Muchenje is particularly concerned with.
“We have to do better than what we did in Egypt and if we can continue working hard, we can get a good result,” he said.
“We need to utilise our chances. If we can score, that’s the only way we can win games and its one area we should improve as a team.”
He urged the team’s fans to come in their numbers and fill up the giant stadium.
“We need the support and are urging all our supporters to come and rally behind the team because without them, we are nothing.”
Fellow midfield enforcer Devon Chafa said they drew some positives from the loss against Zamalek.
He said even though they lost, they still had a good chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
“We are hoping to get a positive result. Even though we lost (against Zamalek), we are still in it and we will fight to the end,” Chafa said.
“We have to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes, no room for any lapse. If we get three points, we are back in contention. We still have five matches to go so if we win four, we will be good. It means taking one for the team, then it’s okay.”
Asked if they have prior information on Alger, Chafa said: “We just know they are one of the biggest teams in Africa.”
The North Africans arrived in the country yesterday morning.
