BY HENRY MHARA
Yadah . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 2
Caps United . . . . . . . .(1) 1
Caps United coach Darlington Dodo aimed his ire at the quality of match officials after Yadah’s controversial match winning penalty at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The thrilling Chibuku Super Cup Group 1 match marked the return of premier football after it was suspended by government a fortnight ago in reaction to the spike of COVID-19 cases in the country.
However, the tournament was given a special exemption to resume, with yesterday’s game kickstarting the second stage of the group matches played in a round robin format.
Godknows Mangani’s first half penalty earned Yadah their second win in the group to move second on the log standings with eight points, but Dodo was not happy with the decision-making by referee Lawrence Zimondi.
“The decision on the penalty was sad. Such a decision decides the game and it demotivates the other team and if things are going to be like that always then, it’s sad because we put a lot of effort in these things,” a visibly irritated Dodo said.
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The defeat saw United dropping to third with seven points.
They could find themselves even lower if the teams below them win their outstanding matches.
Only top two teams from the group progress to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
United has won just one game from six, but Dodo is still hopeful.
He, however, wants his players “to change their mentality and attitude towards games”.
“We had a good start and that is how we had planned this game. We took the lead and tried to complement that lead, be on the safe side and start play our normal game. Unfortunately, after we scored, we slowed down the tempo, and started making slow build-ups and the opponent capitalised on that. They started pressing us high and we lost possession in critical areas and we conceded,” Dodo said
“We will have to regroup, we have no choice, but to take it. It’s (the penalty decision) now water under the bridge. But it’s very sad, heart breaking, but we have to come back again because we are a team that have planned very well for this tournament and we still want our plans to be fulfilled. I know my boys that they can still turn things around.”
Yadah coach Genesis Mangombe was proud of his boys and believes his team has what it takes to qualify to the next stage.
“We trained for this. We knew Caps were going to come at us early on and get an avenue to get an early goal. They did just that, but we adjusted and remained calm. We managed to equalise and later on got the winner, so I’m happy with how the boys responded,” he said.
Yadah face log leaders Dymamos in their next match.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the 34th minute, defender Munyaradzi Dironyenye was adjudged to have obstructed Vincent Sango inside the box.
It looked very harsh as the defender did nothing more than shepherding the ball out.
After a few minutes of protestations by the Caps United players, Mangani stepped up and sent Tonderai Mateyaunga the wrong way.
Ishmael Wadi had given Caps United a fifth minute lead with a brilliant individual goal.
Five weeks ago, Wadi salvaged a draw for Caps United at the National Sports Stadium following his second-half double to erase a two-goal first-half deficit against minnows Yadah FC.
Yesterday, the inform striker, who was surprisingly left out of the Warriors squad preparing to go to South Africa for the Cosafa Cup tournament, received possession just after the halfway line and glided past four defenders before dinking the ball over the keeper for his fourth goal of the tournament.
But that lead lasted just 18 minutes as a mistake by the defenders gifted the ball to Tanaka Shandirwa inside the box, and the grateful striker rifled it into the roof of the net to restore parity.
The second half was incident free, with chances very few and far between.
Teams
Yadah: P Nyabunga, G Mukambi, B Chayambuka, L Mucheto, N Mhlanga, B Kadamanja, V Sango (I Sadiki, 59’), A Kambanje (F Binzi, 59’), J Mutembedza (P Kafelapanjila, 72’), G Mangani, T Shandirwa (T Kabanda, 84’)
Caps United: T Mateyaunga, Diro, M Kunyarimwe (T Jaravani, 13’), C Mavhurume, W Tafa, E Karembo, B Sarupinda, R Hachiro (R Chitiyo, 46’), I Wadi (J Gwara, 87’), I Nyoni (A Tavarwisa, 58’), J Thulani
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