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For the believers of traditional Indian medicine called ayurveda, six is the number of tastes in that medicine which are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
The “six factor” once again comes into the limelight in the “Battle of the Cities Part Two” when a badly bruised Caps United play host to a trailblazing Highlanders in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match set for Rufaro Stadium on Saturday.
In the reverse fixture, Makepekepe, then under Irishman Sean Connor, came to Barbourfields Stadium bubbling with confidence after going on a six-match unbeaten streak only to come down crashing with a 1-0 defeat.
On Saturday, the two giants clash again with Caps United having gone for six matches without tasting a win and just like in the reverse fixture, they will hope that the match sees a start of a new era.
The green half of the capital welcomes two new members of the family in coach Taurai Mangwiro and his assistant Mkhuphali Masuku whose last dance with the league was as head coach at Highlanders while Mangwiro was surprisingly fired by Monomotapa a few weeks ago. The duo’s tactical ability is well documented with Masuku having the added advantage of having watched Highlanders under expatriate coach Kelvin Kaindu, week in week out and will use the three days to drill into the Caps players’ ways to counter the black and white army.
The match is like a derby as the two sides always throw current form out of the window whenever they meet with the 31 July 2004 epic clash between the two sides still fresh in both sets of fans’ memories.
A then trailblazing and unbeaten Makepekepe met Highlanders at the giant National Sports Stadium and against all odds, a Tapuwa Kapini-led Tshilamoya stunned the Green Machine 4-3 with Kapini beating his opposite number Witness Munkuli with an as yet unexplained fourth goal. It proved to be the only loss of the season for Caps United.
Highlanders coach Kaindu is aware of the danger posed by their opponents and says the team is preparing well.
“We know they have been going through a bad patch of late and would want to put an end to that at our expense. However we also want nothing other than the three points,” said Kaindu.
On the type of play that the team has been exhibiting, the Zambian expatriate said the win over Quelaton was not a mistake but the result of a change of tactics for the second half.
“We have changed our approach to the game for the second window and as a club we don’t concentrate on our opponents’ strengths but on our own. We know where we are strong and will fully utilise that ability,” he said.
In other matches set for the weekend, Quelaton are up against fellow strugglers Black Mambas in a match set for Luveve Stadium and will look to bounce back from the morale-shattering defeat to Bosso last Sunday.
The police outfit, who won the reverse fixture 3-1 at Morris Depot, come into the match on the back of a 2-1 home loss to Blue Rangers.
Fourth-placed Chicken Inn will be on the road to face Motor Action at Motor Action Sports Club while a seemingly resurgent Hwange take the 770km journey to the capital seeking nothing other than revenge over a Gunners team that shocked them 3-0 at home in the reverse match.
Under any other executive, heads would have rolled after the defeat but the management remained calm and gave the Tennant Chilumba-led bench their undivided support.
Fixtures:
Saturday: Caps United v Highlanders (Rufaro), Motor Action v Chicken Inn (Motor Action Sports Club), Harare City v Shabanie Mine (Gwanzura), FC Platinum v Buffaloes (Mandava), Gunners v Hwange (Larfarge).
Sunday: Hardbody v Monomotapa (Ascot), Blue Rangers v Dynamos (Rufaro), Quelaton v Black Mambas (Luveve).
Online Reporter