Caps United have won just one of their last eight matches which has seen them destined towards another relegation royal rumble.

Today's match against Bikita Minerals at Sakubva Stadium presents the Lloyd Chitembwe-coached side with an opportunity to start steering well clear of the drop zone.

At the start of the season where they conducted some good transfer business, the Green Machine would have envisaged themselves somewhere in the upper echelons of the log, yet things have panned out differently.

Caps dealt well in the market with a few veterans as well as younger players with youthful exuberance coming through.

But they have failed to maintain a title challenge having already fallen 16 points behind leaders FC Platinum.

They are too close to the drop zone for comfort having slid to just two points above the red zone.

Caps face Bikita Minerals one of the sides to take all three points from them at home.

The miners shocked Caps United 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium in the first half of the season.

A lot has changed since then with Bikita Minerals losing coach Saul Chaminuka who was snapped up by GreenFuels.

Caps have struggled to knit successive wins to assert themselves as a championship contender as they are flirting with the relegation candidates.

The Green Machine need improvement at both ends of the field having shipped in 20 goals while converting just 21 of their chances this season

But what might frustrate their fans at this stage is that they could have easily won their last two matches against Chicken Inn and Herentals, yet they have a single point to show for their efforts.

Against Chicken Inn they dominated proceedings, but failed to put the ball into the back of the nets.

Chicken would have been mightily relived to escape with a point.

Against Herentals on Sunday, Caps could have been out of sight by half time yet William Manondo, Phenias Bhamusi and Junior Bunjira were all guilty of missing gilt-edged chances.

Chitembwe has implored his charges to keep working hard and might have spent the last three days hammering away at his strikers.

“The application from the boys was decent, hence we had more opportunities than our opponents," he said after the Herentals match.

“Keep working hard,” he said.

“I think that’s the correct message. They must just keep focused and work hard.”

At the top of the table second-placed Ngezi Platinum Stars, who have won seven of their last eight, are hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they host ZPC Kariba in Mhondoro.

The team last week stopped stopped FC Platinum from stretching their five-point gap at the top following their nil-all stalemate at Mandava

Today they are back in the home comforts of the Baobab Stadium with the aim of collecting full marks

The miners probably have FC Platinum occupying their minds, but behind them Simba Bhora (34 points), Manica Diamonds (33) and Highlanders are all breathing down their necks as the title race hots up.

The Simba Bhora versus Highlanders clash in Shamva is probably the match of the day as it pits two sides firmly in the title race.

Highlanders are on a mini resurgence having won three of their last five matches while Simba Bhora are unbeaten at home this season.

Bosso won the reverse fixture in Bulawayo, but need not be reminded of their 3-0 hammering at the hands of the Tonderai Ndiraya-coached side last term.

Fixtures

Today: Bikita Minerals v Caps United (Sakubva), Simba Bhora v Highlanders (Wadzanayi), Ngezi Platinum v ZPC Kariba (Baobab), Bulawayo Chiefs v Hwange (Luveve), Herentals v Arenel Movers (Rufaro), Tel One v GreenFuel (Bata)