×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Limping Caps face Chinda Boys test

Sport
LIMPING Zimbabwean champions Caps United, take on Shabanie Mine in a Castle Lager Premiership tie at the National Sports Stadium today without several key players including full-back Ronald Pfumbidzai and striker Abbas Amidu.

LIMPING Zimbabwean champions Caps United, take on Shabanie Mine in a Castle Lager Premiership tie at the National Sports Stadium today without several key players including full-back Ronald Pfumbidzai and striker Abbas Amidu.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

Dominic Chungwa
Dominic Chungwa

The defending champions had a nightmarish start to the campaign after their return from the African Champions League campaign.

Lloyd Chitembwe’s men, who qualified for the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition for the first time in the club’s history, returned to domestic matters where they found the going tough, suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Premiership new boys Yadah FC and then handed a 3-1 defeat by How Mine last week. It was their first home defeat since Lloyd Chitembwe took over in September 2015.

And, as they face Shabanie Mine, hoping to recover lost ground, they will be without Amidu, who has sealed a deal with Egyptian Premier League side Smouha and was expected to fly to the North African country yesterday, while Pfumbidzai left for South Africa for trials with Bloemfontein Celtic.

Tafadzwa Rusike, the team’s creative hub, is battling injury and took part in light training yesterday hoping to pass a late fitness test.

Given their situation, Caps United had tried to hold on to Pfumbidzai until next week so that he takes part in the showdown against Shabanie. Bloemfontein Celtic, however, claimed that they didn’t have time to watch Pfumbidzai in the Champions League and need to see him once more in a game situation.

They are reported to have arranged a friendly match to have an assessment of the left-back after Caps United demanded that he returns by tomorrow.

The Green Machine will turn to Dominic Chungwa and Amon Kambanje, while they engage their foreign targets whom they expect to sign soon to shore up their strike force.

Caps United have played just 10 matches in the campaign, while other teams have played 17.

The Green Machine drew against Shabanie in the reverse fixture and this afternoon they will be hoping to collect maximum points to get their campaign back on track.