adminIshemunyoro Chingwere in Gweru
Chapungu ..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. (1) 3
Caps United ..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..……. 0
CAPS United had a nightmarish outing yesterday as they succumbed to the fired up Chapungu in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Ascot Stadium in Gweru.
A brace from striker Rodwell Mhlanga and a wonder goal by exciting winger Gift Phiri, who was at Makepekepe last season, knocked the lights out of a clueless Caps United whose players staged a strike on the eve of the encounter.
Makepekepe players nearly boycotted the match and only fulfilled the fixture after some cajoling from the team’s technical department just before kickoff.
They made the journey from Harare to Gweru on match day without influential player Hardlife Zvirekwi who chose not to travel in protest against non-payment of bonuses.
Caps United coach Taurai Mangwiro blamed the off field incident for his team’s demise.
“You work with players for the whole week but some decide to pull out of the team at the last minute as was the case with Zvirekwi whom we thought we could count on today. It is unfortunate that the blame is always on the coach but I have no control over some of these things which I obviously cannot elaborate on,” he said.
Aside from Caps United’s in house problems, hosts Chapungu put up one of their best performances at Ascot this season as they were all over Makepekepe from the first whistle.
They raced to an early lead with Mhlanga heading home a cross from Charles Mativenga in the third minute.
Striker Callisto Maheya spurned two glorious chances in the first 25 minutes as the airmen threatened to run over their opponents.
The visitors thought they had found the equaliser after 27 minutes of action but hard running striker Dominic Chungwa’s strike was ruled out for offside by referee Philani Ncube.
The fired up Mhlanga completed his brace in the 66th minute as he coolly converted a neat lay off by Farai Manase, who had outsprinted Caps United skipper Tapiwa Khumbuyani. Phiri heaped more misery on his former paymasters when his 25 metre drive, shot from an acute angle, was too much for Makepekepe goalie Jorum Muchambo.
Chapungu coach John Nyikadzino felt his lads ought to have inflicted more damage on the visitors.
“A score line of 3-0 cannot be a bad result but we could have scored more,” he said.
In Chiredzi Tawanda Mangoma reports that Chiredzi FC were held by visiting Hwange to a one all draw at Chishamiso yesterday.
It was midfielder Trevor Ncube who broke the deadlock with a well taken raspy shot outside the box after receiving a fine pass from Tapiwa Depistara in the 33rd minute.
The second half was a balanced affair but the visitors equalised in the 66th minute through Isaac Masame after benefiting from Chinyengetere.
At Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma a late strike by Lincoln Saramaya carried the day for Black Rhinos and their under pressure coach Arthur Tutani over Green Buffaloes.
Saramaya poked the ball home after a goal mouth melee in the 79th minute. The triumph saw Chauya Chipembere take their points tally to 10, from a possible 30, and move away from the relegation zone.
A draw would have been a fair result for Buffaloes who battled hard but could not get the lucky break their toil deserved.
Online Reporter