Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga in Mhondoro-Ngezi
Ngezi Platinum Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
CAPS United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
NGEZI Platinum Stars ended CAPS United’s unbeaten start to the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season with a hard-fought win at Baobab yesterday.
It was new CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi’s first league defeat since he took over at Makepekepe.
It was another chapter in a fixture that is beginning to lean heavily in Ngezi’s favour.
The Mhondoro platinum miners now have 10 wins in 17 top-flight meetings against the Harare giants.
There was added spice on the touchline.
Former Ngezi coach Chiragwi returned to Baobab for the first time since leaving the miners for CAPS United and he came up against several players and some back room staff he once worked with, including coach Kumbirayi Mutiwekuziwa who was his assistant.
The game took time to open up. Both sides were careful early on, feeling their way into the contest without committing too much.
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 when Karengesha delivered a good cross that found Tinotenda Murasiranwa unmarked, but the forward rushed his effort and sent it wide.
The hosts kept asking questions.
Veteran Farai Madhananga forced a save from CAPS goalkeeper Wallace Magalane around the half-hour mark as Ngezi continued to press.
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 by Murasiranwa in the Ngezi goal.
The breakthrough came just before the break. 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. Ngezi had another chance from a set piece after Chigwida handled Mukumba in a two-on-one situation, but Magalane remained alert to deny Karengesha.
The visitors kept coming and were handed a big opportunity when Brighton Chimene pointed to the spot after Mupomba was fouled by Leslie Kashitigu.
Chigwida stepped up, but Murasiranwa guessed right and produced a crucial save with 15 minutes left.
That proved to be the turning point. CAPS could not find a way through after that, and Ngezi held on to seal another win in this growing rivalry.
Mutiwekuziwa 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, despite what we have done to win the match,” he said.
Chiragwi, back at Baobab on the opposite bench, was satisfied with the effort from his side despite the defeat.
“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.
