BY HENRY MHARA
CAPS UNITED………. (2) 3 TELONE…………….(1) 3
NEWMAN Sianchali headed in an equaliser to rescue a point for Caps United against a fearless TelOne in a six-goal thriller at the National Sports Stadium yesterday. The Harare giants halted a two-match losing streak, but the season continues to unravel for them.
TelOne opened and Caps United finished the scoring. In between, the lead exchanged hands, but in the end, a draw was probably a fair result.
Caps were without their coach Lloyd Chitembwe who was off sick and the team’s technical director Nelson Matongorere directed operations from the bench for the Green Machine.
Elasto Chigora started the goal blitz as early as the sixth minute when a well-worked free kick was curled behind the Caps defence for the striker to go eyeball to eyeball with goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga.
From a yard out, there was no chance for the exposed Mateyaunga as Chigora finished easily.
United’s response was quick. Straight from the restart, the ball was hooped forward and the TelOne defence was caught unprepared. John Zhuwawo reacted the quickest to score the leveller. Buoyed by the instant equaliser, the home side started dominating territory and when Gabriel Nyoni tapped in the second on the 17th minute following an indirect free-kick awarded inside the box, it looked like it would be a routine afternoon for the Green Machine.
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After the goal, they continued to dominate and create chances, but most of them were being wasted by the profligate Sianchali.
The closest that United came to scoring in that dominant period was from a free-kick by Valentine Musarurwa outside the box which was tipped onto the cross bar by TelOne goalkeeper Raphael Pitisi.
The visitors began the second half full of purpose and former Dynamos wideman Emmanuel Mandiranga fired his side back to equal terms from close range on 52nd minute, capitalising after his former mate at DeMbare Mateyaunga had fumbled a cross. Eight minutes later, Blessing Sibanda headed TelOne in front as the error strewn United defence conceded their ninth goal in three matches.
And at this point, it looked like TelOne would win it with their forwards, in particular Mandiranga, causing untold suffering in United’s heart of defence. But the lead lasted just nine minutes as Sianchali made amends for earlier misses by heading home inside a crowded box.
There was still time for both sides to win this classic encounter, but the strikers could not make full use of the chances that fell their way. Matongorere said it was a point gained by his team, while TelOne coach Jairosi Tapera felt his side had dropped two.
Teams
Caps United: T Mateyaunga, V Musarurwa, V Ndaba, S Masunda, M Mwanjale, K Nyamupfukudza (B Sarupinda, 62’), P Bamusi, J Ngodzo, G Nyoni (D Chungwa, 88’), J Zhuwawu, N Sianchali
TelOne: R Pitisi, M Chigumira, T Chikore, I Zambezi, F Bushiri, J Jam (D Mangesi, 90’), E Zinyama, E Mandiranga, T Hapazari (J Muzokomba, 67’), E Chigora (F Nkala, 66’), B Sibanda
