After a week of turmoil at the club, Caps United will seek their first win in five matches when they clash with leaders Highlanders in a potentially explosive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon.
There is new order at Caps United with coach Sean Connor having been shown the door after last week’s 3-2 away loss to Hwange and Taurayi Mangwiro taking over.
Mangwiro has called on the services of his friend and former Highlanders coach Mkhuphali Masuku to assist them to stem the rot at the Green Machine and both are hopeful that the league leaders will not stretch their winning streak to 17 games.
Highlanders, under the managerial reins of Zambian gaffer Kevin Kaindu, have not tasted defeat since the start of the current campaign. Last week, they made a bold statement of their intentions this season – comprehensively beating basement side Quelaton 7-1.
Today, they are in Harare for a date with struggling United whom they edged 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Bulawayo.
Victory over United will see the 2006 champions completing back-to-back wins over their rivals. But Kaindu still believes Caps are one of the strongest teams in the league.
“It will be good for us if we maintain our unbeaten run. Every team now wants to beat us and I think Caps United are still one of the strongest teams in the league,” he said.
Bosso appear to thrive on a creative midfield hub that has Peter “Rio” Moyo and Mthulisi Maphosa. Maphosa and striker Graham Ncube make a return to the team after missing the last match due to suspensions.
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Ncube leads an attack that has scored an incredible 34 league goals in 16 matches and conceded 10 while United have found the target just 15 times in 16 starts and have conceded 16. Interestingly, most of their goals have come from goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda with their strikers firing blanks.
The 42-year-old Mangwiro, who also had coaching stints with Masvingo United and the defunct Eastern Lions, believes there is a foundation to build on.
“They (Highlanders) are the league leaders and are high in confidence while the opposite is true for us,” Mangwiro said. “But I have been telling the players to have self-belief. If we win against Highlanders, it will bring back confidence into the team.”
United welcome back midfielder Tawanda Munyanduri, strikers Washington Pakamisa and Evans Gwekwerere who missed the loss to Hwange owing to suspensions.
Playmaker Marvel Samaneka was expected to pass a late fitness test and could be available. Veteran striker Shingi Kawondera is expected to provide the experience in attack which also has the enterprising Rahman Kutsanzira — himself a former Highlanders player.
Tomorrow, defending champions Dynamos have what seems an easy outing against lowly Blue Rangers, whom they pumped six past last month. A win for Dynamos will take them to 33 points, with one game in hand, and they will be hoping that both Highlanders and Shabanie Mine falter.
