HARARE - CAPS United coach Taurai Mangwiro has earmarked Mkhupali Masuku to return to the club as his first assistant coach ahead of the 2014 season.
Mangwiro was left with a depleted compliment of technical staff after his assistant Saul Chaminuka quit the club at the end of the 2013 season to take charge of newly promoted top-flight side ZPC Kariba.
Mangwiro was asked by Makepekepe to head hunt his preferred candidate to replace Chaminuka and the Daily News understands that he has leaned towards Masuku, who is currently in South Africa with the Zimbabwe national team taking part in the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan).
The CAPS gaffer is playing his cards close to his chest at the moment saying that he is waiting for the newly constituted Makepekepe board to approve his choice.
“Yes, I have submitted a name to the board of directors. But I have no right to mention his name,” said Mangwiro.
“This will obviously jeopardise the move because the person in question does not know that I have chosen him.”
If Masuku makes a comeback to the club it will be exactly a year after he left the capital at the start of the 2013 season in February.
The former Highlanders coach was shown the exit door by CAPS after the club accused him of failing to control disgruntled players who had gone on industrial action.
At the time, Masuku had assumed control of the club after Mangwiro was suspended by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) for his involvement in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal during his days at Monomotapa.
Masuku, together with seven senior players were axed by the club as a result of the job action.
The dreadlocked coach returned to his home town of Bulawayo where he later joined Chicken Inn as assistant to Mandla Mpofu.
Masuku is currently unattached after he was sacked by the Gamecocks together with Mpofu towards the end of last season.
Although the former Zimbabwe international had an acrimonious ending to his first spell at United, he, however, enjoyed a good working relationship with Mangwiro.
It looks like Mangwiro is prepared to give him another chance to be part of the CAPS coaching department setup.
CAPS players are currently on holiday and the club is scheduled to start pre-season training on Tuesday.