CAPS United have secured a double storey property in the capital that the Green Machine intends to convert into a state-of-the-art clubhouse that will host the offices of the team's management, coaching and medical staff. The property, located at 1 Morris Drive in Eastlea, will be the official home of CAPS United Football Club from March 1 this year.

The acquisition of the property is part of the club's grand projects, for the next five years, following the new partnership deal entered into by its two owners - Twine Phiri and Farai Jere.

Phiri, the PSL chairman, gave his partner Jere an improved 45 percent stake in CAPS United from the 25 percent that the Harare businessman used to hold.

The CAPS United directors intend to also acquire land in the capital, within the coming years, to build their own stadium that will have a modern training ground, on the same complex, and a gym.

Yesterday CAPS United unveiled their clubhouse, with Jere saying this was a giant leap by the Green Machine in its quest to turn into a modern professional football club."This club house will be the nerve centre of CAPS United from March 1 this year," said Jere.

"It will house the offices of the president, vice-president, the team manager, his assistant, the marketing and administration guys and all meetings and appointments related to the club will be held here," said Jere.

"There will also be a boardroom and we will have two conference rooms where players and their coaching staff can watch DVDs as they analyse their games and their opponents.

"Crucially, we will have a doctor's office and a fully-equipped treatment room that will be run by our medical team and our players will now be treated in-house at their club's premises.

"We have reserved an office for the leader of the supporters so that we can get regular feedback and also consult him on a number of key issues.

"There will be two fully equipped canteens that will cater for our players and their coaching staff."The clubhouse will also host offices for the team's accounts staff and media liaison personnel.Jere said the acquisition of the property was part of their vision to take the CAPS United brand forward.

"If you look at all the big teams in the world, they have club houses, a property that they call home and that is where we are today," said Jere.

"All business related to CAPS United will be conducted at the club's offices and not at the offices of the directors. We have a plan for the next five years and it includes acquiring land and starting to build a complex where we will build our stadium and training ground.

"Hopefully, everything will work out well."Everything seems to be going well for CAPS United with the club securing a work permit for Northern Irishman, Sean Connor, to head their coaching staff ahead of a 2012 football season that promises a lot for the Green Machine.

Connor has been given a renewable one-year work permit and will lead a technical team that includes Lloyd Chitembwe, who will be his immediate assistant, Kennedy Nagoli and Joel Luphahla.

The Northern Irishman will assume the official title of manager, under a British football-style adopted by CAPS United, while Chitembwe will be the assistant manager. Nagoli, a former Zimbabwe international who once played for Santos in Brazil, will assume the title of trainer and will be responsible for the team's training drills.

Luphahla, another former Zimbabwe international who quit playing football last year, will be the players' welfare manager.

"We have secured the papers that give Sean the greenlight to work in this country and we are extremely delighted by that development," said Jere.

"Sean is desperate to start working and he believes he will help the team in a very special way and we are happy that he can start to put his plans into motion.

"We are excited about our prospects for this year and we are happy that Lloyd is still around and will help Sean settle and together they can make a dynamic coaching team. Sean is the manager, Lloyd is the assistant manager, Kennedy (Nagoli) is the trainer and Joel is the team welfare manager and we chose him because we believe he is the best person we have, right now, we can take care of the players' welfare.

"Joel has played in Europe and South Africa and is just fresh from playing competitive football for CAPS United and we believe he is best positioned to help us in terms of handling the welfare of our players."

CAPS United impressed at the four-team invitational tournament, played behind closed doors in Polokwane, as they beat South African giants, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Black Leopards, on Sunday.

The Green Machine returned from Polokwane yesterday following a good outing which saw them edging Sundowns and Black Leopards by identical 1-0 scorelines at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Sundowns, the richest football club in South Africa, lead the race for the Absa Premiership and fielded a very strong team that included their Zimbabwean imports - Nyasha Mushekwi, Method Mwanjali, Simba Sithole and Esrom Nyandoro while new signing, Anthony Laffor, also played for the Brazilians.

The games were played behind closed doors after the organisers were forced by Safa to shelve their plans to bring in the fans due to their agreement with Caf, which prohibits football tournaments involving international clubs, during the Nations Cup finals.

CAPS United showed little respect for their hosts Sundowns as they ran out victors in a mid-morning friendly match before goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda's trademark freekick handed them another win over Black Leopards in the afternoon to complete a successful tour.

Interestingly, Sibanda had promised the club's leadership, before the team's departure, that he would score from a free-kick.

The Sundowns' camp was so disappointed, with their loss to CAPS United, they returned to their team hotel shortly after the match for a crisis meeting where Dutch coach, Johan Neeskens, read the riot act on the players. Having taken what they believed to have been the cream at CAPS United, Sundowns could not stomach the defeat at the hands of the Green Machine, with Clive Kawinga firing home the priceless goal.

To their credit, Sundowns bounced back to beat Zambian champions, Power Dynamos, 2-0 in the last game of the one-day football festival with Mushekwi and South African international striker, Katlego Mphela, scoring for the Brazilians.

Power Dynamos, coached by former CAPS United mentor Fordson Kabole, are preparing for the Champions League.

The Green Machine were the only team to win both their games and, by virtue of winning both their games, they effectively were the champions of the four-team tournament.

New signings Chris Samakweri, Conrad Whitby, Darryl Nyandoro and Tawanda Nyamandwe were given a run in the team.

CAPS had 23 players on the tour and all got their chance to play.

Striker Evans Gwekwerere was not part of the tour because he had missed a number of training sessions while goalkeeper Muzondiwa Gonese could not secure travel documents in time.

Midfielder Stephen Alimenda was also missing because of family bereavement. Luphahla said the Green Machine was ready to roll this season.

"If you realise we played two different teams in these games. It shows the quality of our depth and I am sure there is going to be serious competition for places in the squad," said Luphahla.

"These guys will give us serious headache in selecting the team. Right now we are working on the physical aspect.