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Bulawayo Bureau
Bantu Rovers . . . . . . . . 0
CAPS United . . . .. . . . . 0
HAVE CAPS United just blown their best chance of blowing wind into the sails of their campaign for their first Castle Lager Premiership title in nine years? That could probably be the case after the Green Machine dropped two big points, against relegation-threatened Bantu Rovers, in this league match at Hartsfield.
CAPS United had serious problems in their camp, on the eve of the match, and only left the capital on Wednesday night with the players enduring an overnight trip to the City of Kings where they arrived in the morning, just hours before their clash against Bantu Rovers.
The Green Machine needed US$5 000 to take care of their costs in Bulawayo, where they would stay after the match ahead of their trip to Zvishavane today, for the Commander Zimbabwe National Army Charity Shield Cup final against FC Platinum at Mandava tomorrow.
But there was no cash in the CAPS United coffers amid reports that differences between the team’s president, Twine Phiri, and some members of the board that has been running the club has resulted in the club living from hand to mouth.
Last year, CAPS United would have won the league title had the team not faced similar problems ahead of their trip to Zvishavane where they were well beaten by Shabanie.
Ahead of their trip to play Shabanie recently, key players Stephen Makatuka and Ronald Pfumbidzai pulled out of the trip saying they could not play for the team while they had not been paid their dues.
Yesterday, Makatuka was sent off in the 37th minute and Bantu Rovers could not make much of the numerical supremacy they enjoyed
The decision appeared too harsh as the CAPS defender did not seem to have kicked his opponent deliberately after missing the ball ending on Leneance Mpofu’s chin.
The pacy Mpofu was treated for over five minutes as he bled from the mouth.
Mpofu missed almost six minutes of the game while the medics attended to his injury.
Even against a troubled CAPS United, Bantu failed to take advantage of the situation and punish the visitors whose arrival in the city had looked in doubt.
Methembe Ndlovu, the Bantu Rovers coach, admitted that the team did not play well.
“We did not play very well today, we failed to take control of the tempo of the game even they were having a man down,” said Ndlovu
Bantu Rovers had a lot of chances that could have given them the much-needed three points but all went to waste.
Mpofu’s low drive at goal was denied by CAPS goalie Tafadzwa Dube in the 11th minute and in the 19th minute Kelvin Bulaji missed a good opportunity to punish Bantu in the penalty box.
Another opportunity in the first half for the visitors came in the 26th minute when Pfumbidzai beat Bantu goalkeeper Takunda Mukunda and crossed to Moses Muchenje who failed to direct his header on target.
The second half was another big yawn.
Teams
Bantu Rovers: T Mutanga, H Dick, Z Ngodzo, M Majika, T Hadebe, M Mlangeni (T Ngwenya 46th min), E Dube (D Moraka 46th min), T Kutinyu, L Mpofu, B Sibanda, O Tarumbwa
CAPS United: T Dube, H Zvirekwi, S Makatuka, G Nyirenda, R Fumbidzayi, T Samanja, K Bulaji (D Chungwa 62nd min), N Alifandika (D Mukandi 77th min), K Sibanda (T Khumbuyani 82nd min), M Muchenje, H Chimutimunzeve
Online Reporter