By Michael Kariati
Herentals…………………(1) 3
Caps United…………….(1) 1
Caps United fans camped at the team’s exit point at the National Sports Stadium yesterday calling for the resignation of coach Lloyd Chitembwe after their team suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat at the hands of Herentals.
The Green Machine’ title hopes were rocked back in their heels, courtesy of three well-executed goals from Kelvin Dingalo, Juan Mutudza and Tafadzwa Chitukutuku, in a game CAPS United were comprehensively outplayed.
Even Chitembwe admitted that his team was not in it at all: “We were not in the game. We did not play as we wanted. I am disappointed with both the defeat and our overall performance,” he said.
The loss, coming hard on the heels of last week’s 3-1 hammering at the hands of Chicken Inn, provoked a whole gamut of emotions from the Makepekepe faithful, some of whom decided to vent their anger on Chitembwe.
The result also saw CAPS United fail to capitalise on the loss by leaders, Chicken Inn, who were beaten 2-1 at home by Harare City.
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This leaves the GameCocks still at the top on goal difference with 22 points, the same as CAPS United, while FC Platinum, who drew 0-0 with Ngezi Platinum Stars, remain third.
Yet all could have been different for the Green Machine, who had the better of exchanges in the first half and were powered by the enterprising Phineas Bamusi. The diminutive winger was a ball of fire, igniting attacks whenever in possession, and capped an all-round brilliant show by creating the game’s opener and CAPS United’s only goal from John Zhuwao.
With Bamusi a thorn in the flesh for The Students’ defence, the Green Machine created too many chances, but failed to utilise them, something they were going to regret.
That, however, was as far as they could go as Herentals took over the show after a half-time pep talk from coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva.
Their breakthrough came before the fans had taken their seats from the break, and what a gem of a goal it was. Blessing Maunganidze got possession on the left flank; beat his marker, before making a spirited run towards goal. He then spotted an unmarked Dingalo, and set him up for a cool finish past Prosper Chigumba, in goal for Makepekepe. Chigumba then worsened the CAPS situation when he was sent off by referee Josiah Masimani for deliberately handling a goal-bound effort when off his area.
From the resultant dead-ball situation, Herentals took the lead when Mutudza curled a beauty of a free kick past Tonderai Mateyaunga, who had come in for Blessing Sarupinda to cover up for Chigumba.
With three points seemingly in the bag, it was now left to Chitukutuku to finish off the Green Machine and condemn the title contenders to their second successive 3-1 defeat.
Mutiwekuziva had high praise for his charges: “We are not done yet. This is the second big team we have beaten. If the boys stay focused, more will fall,” he said.
For CAPS United, however, it is back to the drawing board to find out what has really hit them over the past two weeks, and find means to bounce back to winning ways.
At Nyamhunga, ZPC Kariba and Chapungu played a goalless draw
