Online Reporter
Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . . . . . . . 1
CAPS United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Don Makanyanga in Mhondoro
TAKESURE Chiragwi lost his first game as CAPS United coach, when he fell on familiar turf to his new employers’ bogey side, in this Castle Lager Premiership match at Baobab yesterday.
This was the coach’s first game at the stadium where he plotted Ngezi Platinum’s championship-winning campaign three years ago.
The Green Machine, who had won all their four opening games, missed a penalty to keep their unbeaten start alive.
“It was more like a derby. They really wanted to win. You could see they had the hunger, but we managed to control it.
“It was also difficult probably because I was here before and they had to show the effort and everything to make sure that they win.
“What was important is to see a very good game that we saw today. Two halves, at the end of the day, they managed to get that goal.
“We made a slight mistake and they punished us but all in all, we are happy with the performance,” said Chiragwi.
The Mhondoro side now have 10 wins in 17 top-flight meetings against the Harare giants.
Ngezi settled first and began to look sharper going forward, especially on the break.
Their movement started to trouble the CAPS backline and they should have taken the lead early on but Tinotenda Murasiranwa rushed his effort and sent it wide.
The hosts kept asking questions.
Farai Madhanga forced a save from CAPS goalkeeper Wallace Magalane around the half-hour mark.
CAPS responded with a quick counter that unsettled the home defence. In the scramble that followed, Ishmael Wadi found space inside the box but his curling effort was kept out.
The breakthrough came just before the break.
Ashwin Karengesha got on the end of a cross and made it count, giving Ngezi a lead they would not surrender.
CAPS came back stronger after the restart and spent long periods pushing Ngezi onto the back foot. They nearly found an equaliser 10 minutes into the second half when Tanaka Shandirwa weaved his way through the defence, only to see his effort crash against the upright.
With Ngezi now sitting deeper and looking to break, the game opened up.
The visitors kept coming and were handed a big opportunity when Brighton Chimene after a foul in the box.
Kudzai Chigwida stepped up but the ‘keeper guessed right and produced a crucial save with 15 minutes left.
Ngezi coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva felt the result followed a familiar pattern.
“I think sometimes we need to respect history.
“Ngezi Platinum Stars is a bogey side to CAPS United and this has been proved also today.”
