Chronicle Editor
Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau
CAPS United 1-1 Dynamos
CAPS United rallied late to force a draw in this exciting Harare derby against Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
It fell short of a thriller but the match had all the ingredients of a super-charged showdown befitting its size.
With emotions and feelings right in the air, even multi-award-winning referee Brighton Chimene who has handled this fixture with distinction over the years ended it in the 89th minute.
That was despite the fact that it suffered some delays including when Dynamos goalkeeper Martin Mapisa took so long being attended to after supposedly getting injured in the second half when the Glamour Boys were still in the lead.
DeMbare opened the scoring through a 52nd-minute penalty converted by Kevin Moyo before Ralph Kawondera equalised with seven minutes, turned six before full time.
As has become the norm, Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe, whose side has won a single match at Rufaro questioned the officiating.
He pointed at Sadney Uri-Khob’s strike which was flagged for offside by far-side assistant referee Claris Simango in the 76th minute which he said should have been the turning point.
“I liked the tempo of the game and how both teams played.
“It shows that both teams are being coached. But I am worried about how we lost concentration towards the end.
“I am happy that we managed to score even though I thought we scored twice,” said Mangombe.
“That rebound, maybe the boys were offside but I thought it was a rebound.
“If the goalkeeper spills the ball and one goes and finishes it off, it’s a clear goal but I don’t know.
“Maybe I have to go back and study again the laws of the game.
“But it’s (bad officiating) going on and on and there is nothing I can do to change some of these things.
“But it was a very good game altogether, we now switch on to our next assignment which is on Thursday against Arenel Movers.
“But we are still worried about how these games are being handled.
“But it’s a game of football and a point against CAPS United is still appreciated.”
The game was expected to produce fireworks given the long-standing rivalry between the protagonists involved but as much as it dished some good moments to savour, the action was mostly concentrated in midfield.
Makepekepe have failed to beat Dynamos over the past two seasons and it was because their midfield was being overrun by the energetic Donald Mudadi and Tanaka Shandirwa.
But yesterday coach Lloyd Chitembwe unleashed Kingsley Mureremba, Wayne Makuva and Rodwell Chinyengetere who won most of the duels against Shandirwa, Mudadi and Frederick Ansah Botchway.
Makepekepe should have broken the ice early in the first half but Makuva’s cross found no takers in the box before Mapisa collected.
Junior Bunjira, a victim of Shadreck Nyahwa’s double-legged lunge late in the game also created another good chance inside 10 minutes but again no one was loitering in the box to finish it off.
With scoring chances few and far between, Chimene sounded his half-time whistle with nothing much to write home about in terms of goalmouth action.
Then six minutes after the resumption, Bunjira handled inside the box as he went down attempting to block Emmanuel Paga’s cross.
Moyo converted the resultant spot-kick and for the moments that followed, it looked like DeMbare would pocket the maximum points until Kawondera vaulted the ball home towards the end.
CAPS United moved to fifth with 17 points while Dynamos, on 13 points are now 12th on the log.
Chitembwe hailed his charges’ fighting spirit.
Teams
CAPS United: Tonderai Mateyaunga, Hastings Chapusha, Eric Manokore, Bruce Kangwa, Godknows Murwira (C), Kingsley Mureremba, Junior Bunjira(Tendai Matindife 65min), Wayne Makuva, Ralph Kawondera, William Manondo, Rodwell Chinyengetere
Dynamos: Martin Mapisa, Emmanuel Jalai, Shadreck Nyahwa, Donald Dzvinyai, Kevin Moyo, Donald Mudadi (Temptation Chiwunga 78min) Emmanuel Ziocha (Issah Sadiki 65min) Frederick Ansah-Botchway, Tanaka Shandirwa (Freddy Alick 65min), Emmanuel Paga, Sadney Uri-Khob (Elton Chikona 77min)
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