Harare, (New Ziana) –Struggling Harare football giants Caps United has announced sweeping changes to its technical team, unveiling Ian Bakala as the new assistant coach as part of a newly assembled set up, meant to turn around its fortunes.

Club president Farai Jere announced the move on Monday during a press conference, confirming that long-serving head coach Lloyd Chitembwe will step down from his role, but will remain with the club as technical director.

The move comes after a disappointing start to the season, where the club has won only two out of ten matches, suffering six defeats, a record Jere described as “unprecedented” in the club’s history.

Caps United are currently 15th on the Premier Soccer League (PSL) table, prompting urgent action from the club leadership.

“The current guys have done very well for the team but the results are not coming. We then amicably decided with the current technical set-up that we are parting ways and we pave the way for the new team,” Jere said.

He praised Chitembwe for his contributions and highlighted his continued importance to the club.

“Coach Lloyd Chitembwe is still part of our set-up as the technical director of the team. He knows what is needed to win the championship,” he added.

Bakala, who previously starred for Caps United as a dynamic midfielder, returns to the club with a strong coaching resume, having won the Zambian league as both a player and coach.

“He is one of the greatest Caps United sons. He is very happy with the new role,” Jere said, adding the full technical team, including the new head coach, will be unveiled at a press conference on Thursday, hinting that the incoming coach is also a former Caps United player and has both playing and coaching success.

“We are trying to come up with a combination which can give us instant results. The coach who is coming in has won the championship as a player and as a coach,” he said.

Jere also addressed the role of supporters and the pressure that they are putting on the club during this season, saying they do not allow the club management to sleep on duty.

On the departure of other staff, including club legend Nelson Chinomona (popularly known as Chino Gbenya), Jere defended the decision as necessary for restructuring.

“It was a wrong system and I corrected it. But he remains part of us. He is now somewhere earning something to feed his family,” he explained.

Training sessions this week will be handled by Chitembwe before the new coaching team officially takes over on Thursday, with Jere expressing confidence that the club can still meet its season targets.

“We still have room for recovery. The results will come if we pull.”

New Ziana