Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe is expecting a big response from his team when they face champions FC Platinum in a top-of-the-table Castle Lager Premiership clash at Mandava this afternoon.

Chitembwe last week criticised his players for lacking the fighting spirit of a team chasing the championship following a demoralising 1-2 home loss to Ngezi Platinum Stars.

The Green Machine have won one game in their last seven outings.
“Of course, we are happy we did a bit of some very good work during the course of the week.

”I thought the response by the boys, over what happened last week, was very good going by what I saw in training.

“It was very encouraging and I think there is no better opportunity to try and correct what happened last week than this game.

”I think it has presented us with an opportunity to try and correct everything,” said Chitembwe.
Apart from Phineas Bamusi, who is on national team duty, Chitembwe is expecting to have all his arsenal at his disposal.

The platinum miners limp into the match after losing some of their key players during the just-ended mid-season transfer window.

The Zvishavane miners, who appeared compact during the last few years when they enjoyed success in the domestic league, should be feeling the pinch after they parted ways with the quartet of Elvis Moyo, Kevin Moyo, Farai Madhanhanga and Ali Sadiki.

The Moyo twins, Kevin and Elvis, joined Chippa United while Sadiki moved to Kabwe Warriors in Zambia.
Madhanhanga was the latest to leave when he signed for Bidvest Wits in South Africa.

Utility man Godknows Murwira has also crossed the floor to join rivals Dynamos.
The platinum miners, for the second game on the bounce, will not have their coach Norman Mapeza on the bench after the former Zimbabwe international was reportedly given a two-week leave to recover from an undisclosed sickness.

Meanwhile, FC Platinum have registered a 26-man squad, which coach Norman Mapeza believes has the capacity to again reach the Caf Champions’ League group stage.State media