Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WITH the Harare Derby defeat still fresh on their minds, Premiership giants CAPS United are set for another tough outing tomorrow when they face champions Simba Bhora away at Wadzanai.
Simba want to reclaim top spot and more importantly to defend the championship title they won last year.
Both sides go into battle needing to redeem themselves following a difficult week in which Simba Bhora, also suffered the ignominy of being eliminated from the CAF Champions League at the first hurdle by Eswatini upstarts and fellow continental football minnows, Nsingizini Hotspurs.
While Simba Bhora are coming back home to reignite their challenge for a second league title, CAPS United are seized with trying to extricate themselves from the relegation entanglements.
The Green Machine need the points more tomorrow to snap a three-match winless streak and relieve the pressure on both coach Ian Bakala and the whole team in their quest for survival.
CAPS United are not safe from relegation as they sit just one rung above the drop zone because of superior goal difference, with five games remaining in the season.
“I think at the moment, it’s for us to focus and start winning games,” said Bakala.
But the Zambian gaffer is worried his charges have not been clinical in front of goal, after returning a single goal in their last three outings against ZPC Kariba (lost 1-3), Herentals (0-0) and in the 0-1 defeat to Dynamos last Sunday.
This is disproportionate to the chances they have created in open play.
“Looking at the material we have, they can do much better than this.
“But I think mentally, when you are struggling, it becomes difficult. Everyone is under pressure of scoring,” Bakala said.
“But I think we work on those things at training. What is remaining? We do everything in training. That’s why you’ve seen that we are creating so many chances; it’s coming from training. But they have to get used to putting the ball in the net.
“What is meant is just scoring goals. When we start scoring more goals, I think everything is going to do well.”
CAPS United are tottering on 14th place on the log standings with 32 points from 29 games. But they draw comfort from the fact that 10 teams are involved in this battle for survival. Only two points separate them from ninth placed Highlanders, who travel to Herentals this Sunday.
There is a marked contrast between CAPS United and their opponents Simba Bhora, whose interest is not on survival but the league title.
Simba Bhora have dominated the duels with CAPS United, winning four of the five league meetings between them since 2023 when the Shamva side were promoted.
But Simba Bhora have experienced almost similar disappointments to CAPS United in the last few weeks.
They were dislodged from the top of the log table by Scottland, who could increase their lead if they beat Chicken Inn at Barbourfields this afternoon.
Simba Bhora, on 55 points, currently trail Scottland by a single point but have a game in hand.
This makes it critical to win against CAPS United.
After drawing their last two league games and then getting knocked out of the Champions League by Nsingizini Hotspurs, they need to reignite the spark in the domestic championship.
“I know the whole of Zimbabwe was looking up to us in the Champions League and to concede with a few minutes remaining and then losing the match was disappointing,” said Simba Bhora coach, Joel Luphahla.
The former Zimbabwe international said they are now channelling all their energies to the defence of their title.
“The whole idea was to put this team out there in Africa. This is our second year in the PSL. The first year was difficult, the second year we won the league. In our third year we are trying to win the league, which I think will not be easy.
“We need to be there for these boys because if we are not careful everything can go south. We are going to try and make sure that the six games that we are left with, we will fight for the championship,” said Luphahla.
Fixtures:
Today: Chicken Inn v Scottland (Barbourfields)
Tomorrow: TelOne v Kwekwe Utd (Ascot), MWOS v GreenFuel (Ngoni), Manica Diamonds v Triangle (Sakubva), Simba Bhora v CAPS United (Wadzanayi), Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Rufaro), ZPC Kariba v Bikita Minerals (Nyamhunga), FC Platinum v Yadah (Mandava)
Sunday: Herentals v Highlanders (Rufaro)
