Caps United . . . . . . . . . . 0 Monomotapa . . . . . . (1) 3
“Disaster, it’s a bad day,” is all Caps United coach Maxwell Takaendesa Jongwe could say after watching his team overrun by a well-drilled Monomotapa side in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match played at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
With three defeats in four matches, a single goal and a single point to show for it since his appointment to the hot seat, Jongwe edged yet closer to the exit door after yesterday’s pathetic show.
Striker Makai Kawashu struck on either side of the half time period before Osborn Mukuradare sealed the points on 71 minutes with Monomotapa having totally dominated Caps United especially in the second half.
Pride Tafirenyika struck the post early in the first half and that is the closest Caps came to scoring. Big goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda pulled off some fine saves in the first half.
Caps started off with pace and purpose, but once Monomotapa got a grip on the game they had it all their way passing and moving with aplomb. On three occasions, midfielder Ronald Chitiyo failed to beat Sibanda.
While Caps United were a depleted side missing central defender Nyasha Mukumbi who was replaced by Luckmore Simango, midfielder Ashley Rambanepasi and Marvel Samaneka, the technical team will find it hard to use that as an excuse as their team looked so bereft of ideas and a proper plan.
Simango looked a bundle of nerves and without Samaneka there was very little creativity with their midfield composition looking so predictable and pedestrian, while in contrast Monomotapa’s midfield had all the mobility and creativity.
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Monomotapa just about had everything and the strikers enjoyed good service from the wingers who zipped in crosses that troubled the Caps backline many a time.
Kawashu benefited from one such cross and having been fed from the right, he found himself unmarked and fired past Sibanda six minutes from the breather.
And with the Caps fans still hopeful of a good day, all hopes were squashed less than a minute into the second half when again Kawashu was given too much space and time in the box unmarked to fire into the far corner.
It is that goal which thrust the Caps fans and the technical team into panic mode with the former calling for changes, which were duly delivered with the withdrawal of striker Washington Pakamisa for Evans Gwekwerere and Charles Chiutsa replacing Stephen Alimenda who had been deployed to anchor the midfield.
The changes did little to stop Monomotapa’s dominance as the crescendo moved a notch higher with Chitiyo doing most of the damage. Gwekwerere to his credit huffed and puffed but to no avail while David Rediyoni was a pale shadow of himself.
Even with about 40 minutes still left of play, Caps never gave enough evidence to suggest they could come back into this one.
Jongwe’s body language said it all and he at this stage doesn’t look like he can survive the supporters’ onslaught and the Caps fans have since become specialists in cranking up pressure on the coaches.
For him though yesterday was just a “bad day”. Bad day? To be honest this is just a bad job to be at the moment and Jongwe will have to come up with some strategy to turn things around — if at all he survives until the next match.
In another match at Morris Depot, Gunners beat Black Mambas 1-0 through a Leonard Fiyado 51st minute strike.
