Makuvire’s dream to revive CAPS Utd

Sport
“FOOBALL matters, as poetry does to some people and alcohol does to others . . . Football is inherent in the people . . .”

“FOOBALL matters, as poetry does to some people and alcohol does to others . . . Football is inherent in the people . . .,” wrote the late English author Arthur Hopcraft in his 1968’s epic The Football Man: People and Passions in Soccer.

BY ALBERT MARUFU

Though written way back in 1968, it clearly depicts the passion of the game shared by Joe Makuvire who has bounced back into football administration as CAPS United chief executive officer.

Makuvire, who at 26 became the team’s general manager during the club’s most successful years — between 2005 and 2006, replaced Maxwell Mironga who parted ways with CAPS United last week.

Having quit the club in 2006 to “concentrate on raising his young family”, Makuvire could not resist the urge to come back into the trenches of football administration after seeing his club struggle over the years and finishing on position 10 last season.

To him football, CAPS United in particular, is his life but having arrived at a time when one of the club’s financiers, Farai Jere has quit the club, his job would not be an easy one.

Not only does he have to harness resources to run the club, but he has also to deal with the hooliganism element that is creeping into the club’s supporters.

“We need to start with a close analysis of where the club is coming from. CAPS United will cease to be about individuals. KuCAPS United hakusisina mashefu (no more bosses at CAPS United.) We are all team players acting in different capacities to paint the country green once again,” he told Standardsport.

He also stressed the need to ensure accountability to lure sponsors to the club.

“My duty will be to ensure that we have enough resources to cater for the players and also contract new players. “We need to restore financial viability and not thrive through the benevolence of individuals. We have to build a self-sustaining institution and arrest the seeds of dishonest within the franchise. We need to restore team spirit to all stakeholders,” said the former Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) marketing manager,” he said.

He added: “We need to create a sport business model for the club. Our club should cease to be viewed as a sports entity, but more of an entertainment value. We should give value to shareholders, employees and our supporters.”

Makuvire said CAPS United is a big brand and he would come up with a technical policy that would guarantee success.

“We need to harness the power of our supporters. We are one of the best supported clubs in the country that exudes gender, race and tribe.

“When we bring back supporters to the club, we will be able to motivate our players. Our supporters are valuable assets. They define us from the rest of the clubs,” he said.

But how will he deal with the team’s supporters who at times vent their anger on the team’s executive, forcing a number of coaches to quit the club?

“I don’t regard our supporters as hooligans, but dissatisfied customers venting their anger on people who would have disappointed them.

“They are a band of highly passionate people with so much interest in their club to the extent that they are even prepared to lose their integrity for the club’s cause. Such people are special and need to be educated for them to understand the nature of sport. Sometimes you lose and sometimes win,” he said.

The 35-year-old sports administrator did not rule out changes in the technical department that is currently led by Mkuphali Masuku in the absence of the banned Taurai Mangwiro.

“We are still to do an evaluation of the whole team. The general target is to restore the team to financial health,” he said.