THE country’s biggest knockout football competition, the CBZ FA Cup, nears the climax with the two semi-finals set for this weekend. In the first match, the Eastern Highlands city of Mutare will come alive as Monomotapa visit Eastern Lions at Sakubva Stadium. The two sides meet for the second time in as many weeks after they clashed in a league match a fortnight ago at Sakubva. Monos won that match 2-0, becoming the first team to get a result in the easterners’ backyard this season and underlining their championship capacity.Revenge will be uppermost on the Lions’ mind as they seek to qualify for their first cup final appearance in their two years stint in the premiership.Monos are on the hunt for a remarkable league and cup double. On Sunday, league champions Dynamos will revive their rivalry with fellow city giants Caps United in the second semi-final at Rufaro Stadium. Caps have already beaten Dynamos this season in a cup competition after they booted them out of the inaugural ABC Sup8r Cup. Caps went on to win the competition.Dembare, whose ability to retain the league championship is still debatable despite a 2-1 midweek win over Underhill, must wrap up the CBZ Cup if they are keen on returning to continental football next year. The winner of the cup represents the country in Africa’s second-tier club competition, the Confederation Cup.How Caps would want to beat Dynamos and go on to win their second silverware of the season! Until their ABC Super8r exploits, Makepekepe had been struggling in the league, but their fortunes changed a bit after lifting the trophy, and as they fight to clear themselves off the relegation zone, they will obviously need another booster in the form of the country’s biggest knockout trophy. In the last few years, the much-hyped Dynamos/Caps derby has on occasions disappointed because of lacklustre performance. But this time they both look balanced and hungry. Caps are eager to reaffirm their “Cup King” status and Dynamos want, at least, to have something in their trophy cabinet if they fail to win the league championship, which is looking very likely now. The winners of the two semis will meet in the final on November 23.
