The Sunday Mail
Caps United …………………………1
Bulawayo City ……………………..0
CAPS UNITED “miss” Denver Mukamba and the door is still open for the AWOL player.
After a lacklustre performance in a Premier Soccer League tie at the National Sports Stadium yesterday, it was inevitable to enquire if the Makepekepe family feel their loanee from across town was perhaps a missing link.
Mukamba never attended training last week amid reports he might be heading back to Dynamos.
Caps United coach Lloyd Chitembwe sent his assistant Nelson Matongorere to face the media after the match, they won courtesy of a John Zhuwawu header against 10-man Bulawayo City.
“We miss everybody, we miss him he is our player, but if he doesn’t come for training he doesn’t play, that is our principle,” said Matongorere.
“The door is still open for him because he is our player. No one has chased him away from the training ground of Caps United. He is part of the family,” he said. The home side appeared to continue with their dismal form from last week’s 0-1 loss against Mutare City at home.
Caps were flat in the first half, and Chitembwe could not wait for the breather to pull out Brian Muzondiwa and replace himwith Peter Moyo.
The visitors wanted it more, making forward forays in search of the opening goal, but it counted for nothing as they missed all their chances.
Toto Banda made one too many touches in the box with the goal at his mercy after a through pass from Zephania Ngodzo in the 19th minute.
In the 34th minute Ishmael Wadi shot directly at Caps goalkeeper Chris Mverechena, who had parried Toto Banda’s cross in Wadi’s path.
In the second half Caps played with more purpose.
Ten minutes into the half Zhuwawu’s header narrowly went over the bar after Valentine Musarurwa cross from the right flank
The much-needed goal finally came when Zhuwawu’s header, from a Simba Nhivi cross, hit the post in beating the Bulawayo City goalkeeper Wellington Muuya in the 57th minute.
It was Zhuwawu’s seventh goal of the season. The in-form striker almost doubled the tally in additional time, pouncing on a loose ball after poor communication between Bulawayo City defender Tatenda Tavengwa and keeper Muuya.
With Muuya way outside his box, Zhuwawo shot goal-wards only for Muuya to parry the effort and was subsequently sent off for handling outside his box.
Bulawayo City coach Amini Soma Phiri rued the missed first half chances.
“If you don’t score you have got a problem because goals win games,” he said. Even Caps themselves know they were not in the game, we outplayed them in the first half we could have scored three goals but those missed chances cost us,” said Phiri.
Teams
Caps United: C. Mverechena, J. Jangano, V. Musarurwa, C. Munzabwa, G. Goriyati, D. Mukandi, K. Nyamupfukudza, J. Ngodzo (W. Mutasa, 58th), B. Muzondiwa (Peter Moyo. 40th), J. Zhuwawu, S. Nhivi.
Bulawayo City: W. Muuya, Z. Ngodzo, Z. Sibanda, H. Ncube, E. Mudzingwa, T. Tavengwa, I. Kutsanzira( C. Ncube. 65th), T. January, S. Ndlovu (R. Pavari, 72nd), T. Banda (M, Sibanda, 66th), I. Wadi.
