Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League served up another compelling round of action yesterday as the title race, mid-table scrap, and relegation battle all took intriguing new twists.
Traditional giants continued to stumble, with Dynamos once again failing to collect maximum points after squandering a golden chance in Triangle.
CAPS United might have just turned a crucial corner in their season, breaking a six year jinx against Chicken Inn in front of a relieved Rufaro Stadium crowd.
But the real drama came from unlikely corners of the league.
TelOne silenced Chisumbanje with a shock win that brought GreenFuel’s 18-month unbeaten home run to a crashing halt, a result that could shake up the balance of power in the top half of the table.
At Heart Stadium, Yadah FC got a much needed breath of life in their survival bid, but not without controversy, as matchday antics sparked outrage from the Herentals bench.
As pressure mounts on misfiring heavyweights and so called small teams continue punching above their weight, the 2025 PSL season is proving wildly unpredictable, and fiercely competitive.
Here’s how it all unfolded across the country this yesterday.
CAPS finally break Chicken Inn jinx
At Rufaro Stadium CAPS United finally snapped a six year winless run against Chicken Inn with a hard fought 1-0 win, thanks to a moment of brilliance from Kundai Benyu, who finished off a slick move in the 64th minute.
Coach Ian Bakala hailed the team’s improved mentality:
“The boys’ mental strength has gone up . . . they now understand the importance of the badge.”
Makepekepe, previously 14th, climbed out of the relegation zone with back-to-back wins, and Bakala believes this could be the start of a revival:
“We are in a dangerous position . . . we need to consistently collect maximum points and move to positions that giants should be seated.”
Chicken Inn were left to rue missed chances, with Genius Mutungamiri and Michael Charamba wasting golden one-on-ones. A frustrated Joey Antipas lamented:
“Football is cruel . . . CAPS created one chance and punished us.”
“Our strikers have not been coming to the party. We may have to go shopping mid-season.”
TelOne bring GreenFuel’s fortress down
At GreenFuel Arena TelOne stunned hosts GreenFuel with a 1–0 win, ending the Chisumbanje side’s proud 18-month unbeaten home record.
A towering Panashe Mutasa header, off a pinpoint Nigel Makumbe cross, just after half-time sealed the historic result.
Coach Herbert Maruwa was delighted. “Records are there to be broken . . . we need to build our confidence from this result.”
TelOne executed their game plan to perfection, defending deep and seeing off a late GreenFuel push with composure.
A clearly upset Taurai Mangwiro, the GreenFuel coach said, “We are disappointed . . . but it’s not the end of the world.”
“We’ve been conceding identical goals recently, and that’s something we have to fix.”
Mlilo magic ends Yadah’s winless run
At Heart Stadium, Mandlenkosi Mlilo’s powerful header in the 10th minute gave Yadah FC a precious 1–0 win over Herentals, ending a five-match winless run.
Coach Takaendesa Jongwe praised the effort before being sent off for dissent in the dying minutes: “It’s a good result. . . we could have won by a bigger margin had we converted our chances.”
Yadah dominated the first-half, but were left clinging on in the second as Herentals pushed for an equaliser.
However, coach Paul Benza was livid with Yadah’s match management:
“There was only one match ball and no ball boys. I’m not disappointed by the result, but by the unfair playing field.”
Despite the late chaos and missed chances, the result gives Yadah a lifeline in the survival battle.
Elsewhere
At Baobab, Ngezi Platinum were held 1–1 by Manica Diamonds in a tight contest.
At Mandava, FC Platinum ran riot with a commanding 4–0 win over ZPC Kariba side.
