INCOMING CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi is set to get new wheels after the Harare giants provided a luxurious Toyota Hilux GD-6 vehicle as part of the deal before he starts his tenure in January.
Chiragwi, who is set to leave Ngezi Platinum at the expiry of his contract on December 31, was announced in absentia as the new man in charge of the Green Machine.
Among his packages is a brand new double cab vehicle and Makepekepe have also undertaken to pay his year’s salary in advance while also settling the US$4 000 fine imposed on the coach by the Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee after he was recently found guilty of assaulting a player during a heated game between Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars.
CAPS United president Farai Jere believes Chiragwi, who won the title with Ngezi Platinum Stars in 2023, is capable of steering Makepekepe away from their troubles. The Harare giants have punched below their weight ever since the 2016 title glory under Lloyd Chitembwe. “The coach (Chiragwi) has a proven record. He’s got a track record, he’s one of the top coaches in this country. He won the league recently and for the past four seasons, from the time he won the league, he’s always been in the top four, which is what we want for teams like CAPS United.
“We don’t want to be seen fighting relegation. So we settled for him, that’s why we had to be patient with him because we knew exactly what we wanted.
“Of course, I know there’s going to be a belief that he’s a CAPS United son, but we also looked at his performance; where he has gone, where he was, that’s what we looked at. So he’s the right man for this job,” said Jere.
Chiragwi will be assisted by Ian Bakala, the former coach who was reassigned after a difficult season in which Makepekepe fought hard to survive relegation.
In their quest to turn around the fortunes of the team, Makepekepe will have a bloated technical side that will also include head of development, Malawian Joseph Kamwendo, new goalkeepers trainer Claudius Gundiza, team manager Tinashe Nengomasha, who is also leaving Ngezi Platinum Stars, and two data analysts Gerry Muchakata and John Vera.
CAPS United president Farai Jere also announced the signing of 12 new players to bolster the squad in preparation for 2026 and beyond.
Among the new signings are seven players who also apparently followed their coach from Ngezi Platinum Stars.
These are Obriel Chirinda, Kudzai Chigwida, Nyasha Gurende, Delic Murimba, McDonald Makuwe, Richard Hachiro and Talent Chamboko.
Also joining Makepekepe are FC Platinum goalkeeper Wallace Magalane, midfielder Bret Amidu, slippery winger Davison Marowa, Darlington Marowa from Golden Eagles and highly-rated Malawian international Chawanangwa Kawonga. “As you may be aware, the previous years from the last time we won the championship, things were not very well at CAPS United,” said Jere.
“You also might be aware that we used to sign our players around January, when everyone else had done their work, taking all the cream of the Premier Soccer League.
“But this time around, because our intention is very clear, by October we had finished signing the players we wanted in the Premier Soccer League.
“Those with contracts elsewhere, we spoke to their clubs and we agreed to have them come to CAPS United, starting from the 1st of January 2026. So, it’s already done business.
“For the first time, there’s a reason for us to believe that next year CAPS United is going to be very competitive.
“Our intention is very clear, we’ll be fighting for the honours,” Jere added.
Among the players to be released is Congolese midfielder Love Raema Mabiala, Wayne Makuva, Adam Tende, Nyasha Chintuli and Jayden Bakari. Jere explained the decision to retain Bakala, whose technical team was dissolved at the start of the week.
The Zambian coach was in charge since August when the club parted ways with legend Lloyd Chitembwe, who is no longer part of the CAPS United technical family.
“I think you can all agree with me Ian Bakala did very well under the circumstances.
“He came and inherited the team; it was not his team and his target was to fight relegation, which he did with the players he had.
“But we had to revert back to the setup which we had agreed with him. That is why it was very easy; that is why he signed this year with us. Because when he came in, he knew that he was going to be an assistant to Takesure Chiragwi.
CAPS Utd squad:
Retained: Stephen Odai, Harmony Nare, Jimmy Dzingai, Brian Kadamanja, Wesley Milanzi, Chitoshi Chinga, Tapiwa Matongo, Bruce Kangwa, Kelvin Mangiza, Kundai Benyu, Tanaka Shandirwa, Phineas Bamusi, Junior Bunjira, Tendai Matindife, Ishmael Wadi, Kennedy Mupomba, Cris Mugalu
New signings: Wallace Magalane, Nyasha Gurende, Kudzai Chigwida, Richard Hachiro, Bret Amidu, Talent Chamboko, Davison Marowa, McDonald Makuwe, Delic Murimba, Obriel Chirinda, Darlington Marowa, Chawanangwa Kawonga.
