CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi has lifted the lid on the pressures behind the club’s push for consistency, pointing to expectations from a large and loyal fan base as both motivation and responsibility.
The team remains a work in progress, improving with each game despite a demanding run of fixtures, but aware that the season is a “long marathon”.
“CAPS United has got a lot of followers from local and also abroad and they really want to see their team doing very well.
“So we are improving every game that we are playing, but we know that it’s a long marathon that we are going,” he said.
At the heart of his message was the role of CAPS United’s supporters, whom he described as unwavering. From home to away matches, fans continue to travel in numbers, singing and backing the team regardless of results. Chiragwi acknowledged that level of support comes with expectation.
“We need to keep on focussing, working very hard to make sure that every game that we are playing, we can produce better results that can also give a good vibe to the fans because they’re always coming numbers, following us to try and go everywhere we are playing. They are coming numbers.”
“They are keeping on singing whether we did wrong or we do it correctly. They keep because they love their team. So they are supporting their team every day. So I think it’s good also for them if they go back home with something in their pockets, something to smell, something to enjoy. So I think we are there to make sure that we can also try to give them what they want to see,” he added.
Behind the scenes, Chiragwi also pointed to the physical toll of a congested schedule, with matches coming within short recovery windows.
“If you look at the journey that we travelled and also the intensity of the game that we played there, it was very, very intense and there was a lot of challenges in terms of the lot, but that’s how it is in football.”
He said managing player workload has become a key focus for the technical team, especially after high-intensity games.
“It’s also our responsibility as the technical team to make sure how we manage the load of the players, to make sure that the next game that we’re going to play, within 72 hours, you can also make sure that they have recovered very well and they can give you the best,” Chiragwi added.
CAPS United FC extended their perfect start to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with a 2-0 win over Hard Rock FC at Rufaro Stadium in Matchday 4.
Ishmael Wadi struck early in the 4th minute before 16-year-old substitute Allen Mukombedzi sealed the victory in the 85th minute, taking his season tally to two goals. The result moves CAPS United to 12 points from four games, maintaining a flawless start to the campaign.
