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Green glow at last

Sport
The way Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s assistants, Fungai Kwashi and Mark Mathe raced to embrace him at the end of their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie against ZPC Kariba said it all.

Caps UNITED ……….(0)1 ZPC KARIBA …………..0

The way Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s assistants, Fungai Kwashi and Mark Mathe raced to embrace him at the end of their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie against ZPC Kariba said it all.

BY Kevin Mapasure

Caps United striker Dominic Chungwa releases a shot under the watchful eye of ZPC Kariba's Silvester Appiah at the National Sports Stadium yesterday
Caps United striker Dominic Chungwa releases a shot under the watchful eye of ZPC Kariba’s Silvester Appiah at the National Sports Stadium yesterday

It was a huge sigh of relief even though Chitembwe gave away nothing in terms of emotion as he maintained his cool.

Five matches preceding this one had all ended in agony.

It had begun to be scary for all those in the Green Machine corner.

But yesterday, finally a win was delivered. It is a win that they hope will trigger a good run which they badly need if they are to contend for the title, let alone avoid a relegation dogfight.

Dominic Chungwa delivered the killer strike on the 61th minute after he was allowed much room to arrow his effort into the top corner from outside the box.

But while Chitembwe slept easy last night, the same cannot be said about Sunday Chidzambwa in the ZPC Kariba dug-out.

Chidzambwa saw enough yesterday that left him convinced his players are reluctant to work for him. With that evidence, he said he is ready to walk away.

The lack of a fight spirit from his side has been too much to bear and he wants answers.

“In today’s defeat, we have ourselves to blame. We did not fight at all, especially in the first half and thus we never created any chances,” Chidzambwa said. “We only started playing football when Caps United has scored. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we want to play football. The players were not prepared for a fight at all. I will go to the dressing room and ask them if they want to fight for me or not. If they do not want, then I will be prepared to resign. When players do not fight they put pressure on the coach. Maybe there is someone that they want to work for.”

Chidzambwa said the difference in yesterday’s match was on the fighting spirit that lacked in his side, but was abundant in the Caps United players.

Chungwa’s goal was a beauty, but the way the ZPC Kariba players allowed him to take the shot in such a dangerous position was criminal.

The striker had another opportunity to double the team’s lead late on, but his shot was easily picked up by goalkeeper Tendai Hove.

Following the Caps United goal ZPC Kariba were jolted into action and striker Limited Chikafa nearly got the leveller, only for his well-taken shot to be diverted by goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba, all this after defender Carlton Muzambwa had slipped.

The visitors tried to come back, but they fluffed their lines from free kick routines with Never Tigere either shooting into the wall or wide.

Raphael Manuvire also came close with a free kick, missing the target with Chigumba stranded towards the end of the match.

In the first half, Caps United dominated proceedings, but the final pass always let them down.

John Zhuwawo partnering Chungwa upfront had a brilliant game and so did Ronald Pfumbidzai, playing as a left winger yesterday. Zhuwawo got the closest to scoring towards the end of the half when his goal-bound shot was blocked and bounced off the cross bar.

Most of the first half chances came in the final minutes of the period and the Green Machine tried to get the advantage.

Phineas Bamusi also had a good chance which he wasted and so did Samuel Makawa for ZPC Kariba.

Kwashi said he was pleased with the win, but said that they will not be carried away.

“We are pleased with the win. We had the confidence that we would get the three points, but we will not get carried away because we still have a lot of work to do in the next match against Tsholotsho,” Kwashi said.

Teams

Caps United: P Chigumba, H Zvirekwi, V Musarurwa, S Makatuka, C Muzambwa, D Chafa, J Ngodzo (K Nyamupfukudza) 73, P Bhamusi (A Kambanje 73) , J Zhuwawo (C Kamhapa 90), D Chungwa, R Pfumbidzai.

ZPC Kariba; T Hove, B Makuture, M Kunyarimwe, S Appiah, T Nyamandwe, T Munyanduri, T Mugoniwa (B Nyamuzihwa 48) S Makawa (G Mangani 74), T Mamvura (J Tigere 54), R Manuvire, L Chikafa.