Ian Bakala’s CAPS United have been eliminated from the 2025 Chibuku Super Cup in the first round following a 2-0 loss to MWOS Football Club on Saturday afternoon at Ngoni Stadium.

The Green Machine held their opponents in the first half but crumbled after the break, conceding twice through goals from Nigel Matinha and Arthur Banda.

Speaking after the match, Bakala attributed the defeat to a lack of concentration from his charges.

“I think for us our reaction was too slow. Even where they scored the two goals [from], I think we could have done better. It’s just a matter of concentration—the players need to stay focused for the whole game,” he said. “We’ve got a team that can avoid such situations, but unfortunately today we conceded goals we could have avoided.”

Bakala also pointed to injuries and team changes as factors affecting consistency.

“Our team is changing every day. Sometimes we’ve got knocks—like Kundai just came in today after a long time out, and in the last game Tanaka wasn’t available. We need to balance the team and work with the players who are there at the moment,” he explained.

“If we win today, the next game we drop—our players need to know each game is the same and keep the focus.”

Despite the disappointing result, Bakala expressed gratitude to the club’s supporters.

“I’ll thank the supporters even if the team has lost. We need to give them the best in the coming games. It’s very important for us to respect and reflect, and the players know what is at stake. Now we need to concentrate on the league,” he said.

CAPS United will turn their attention to the league when they face Yadah Football Club in their next fixture.