Did Chitembwe say goodbye?

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
Chicken Inn . . . .. . . (2) 3
CAPS United . . .. . . (0) 1
THE future of CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe was cast deep into uncertainty following a drubbing at the hands of Chicken Inn in a Castle Lager Premiership tie at Luveve yesterday. Despite a spirited performance in the second half in which they dominated ball possession, Makepekepe still found themselves on the losing end. The hosts powered to a 2-0 lead in the opening 14 minutes of the match through goals by veteran Obadiah Tarumbwa and right-back Passmore Bernard.

Tarumbwa then hammered the final nail on the CAPS coffin six minutes from time after Phineas Bamusi had reduced arrears and given the champions hope. It’s the third straight game, in four matches, in which the Green Machine have leaked three goals.

However, it was Chitembwe’s hand signal to the CAPS supporters as he walked to the dressing room that suggested a man throwing in the towel. He did not attend the post-match interview, but sent in his assistant Fungai “Tostao” Kwashi.

“We haven’t had the team talk yet, so no words have been said,” said Kwashi when asked what Chitembwe’s words were to his players in the dressing room.

Chicken Inn got off to a flier through a beauty of a goal.

Tarumbwa found himself unmarked near the touchline, rode a tackle, picked his spot and curled the ball home to beat CAPS goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo in the 11th minute.

The Gamecocks were 2-0 up three minutes later courtesy of Bernard, whose effort seemed to deflect off a Makepekepe defender to beat Muchambo.

Chitembwe’s boys came back from the breather a rejuvenated lot and fought for every ball and it wasn’t a surprise when Bamusi pulled one back in the 50th minute by scrambling the ball home following commotion in the home side’s defence.

After the goal, it became a Makepekepe show, as they sought for an equaliser.

It almost came in the 58th minute through Amon Kambanje’s scissors kick from inside the box that, however, found goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze in a good position.

The lively Bamusi returned to worry Chipezeze in the 75th minute, but although his glancing header beat the goalkeeper, the ball agonisingly went wide and trickled out of play.

“We lost the battle, but the war is still on. We will keep our heads up, all we need is just one win and we will be back in it,” said Kwashi.
An elated Rahman Gumbo, who saw his side go top of the table, said his men were still well within their set targets.

“As I have been saying, all we want is to grind a result and we don’t mind how we do that,” said Gumbo.
His team now heads to Zvishavane on Saturday to take on FC Platinum.

Teams
Chicken Inn: E. Chipezeze, P. Bernard, D. Lunga (B. Nyaunzwi 50th min), M. Jackson, G. Goddard, C. Matawu, C. Samakweri (C. Duwa 59th min), B. Juru, O. Tarumbwa, I. Mucheneka, D. Nyandoro (K. Gurure 66th min)

CAPS United: J. Muchambo, H. Zvirekwi (Z. Bizeki 90th min) V. Musarurwa, C. Munzabwa, S. Makatuka, D. Chafa, C. Kamhapa (J. Zhuwawo 46th min), J. Ngodzo (K. Nyamupfukudza 83rd min), P. Bamusi, A. Kambanje, D. Chungwa