The Standard

32 The Standard September 14 to 20 2014
Sport
The Standard
www.thestandard.co.zw
Dinyero elated
“I am happy with the performance
of the team and
that we progressed. The attitude
of the players was
wrong earlier on as they
were underrating the opponents
but they later on
played well.”
Page 31
CAPS United
crumble at
Mandava again
FROM MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE IN
ZVISHAVANE
FC Platinum… (1) 1
CAPS United 0
CAPS United defender
George Nyirenda beat
his side’s two goalkeepers
in as many weekends
after fooling Tafadzwa
Dube yesterday at Mandava
against similar opposition, to
hand FC Platinum passage into
the Chibuku Super Cup semifinals.
As CAPS tried to erase grim
memories of the previous weekend’s
ZNA Charity Shield 6-0 disgrace
by the same side in which
Nyirenda scored past his own
goalie Jorum Muchambo, the
centre back once again pounced
against his side and this time it
was the decider.
United showed intent to revenge
but the early goal was a big blow,
with coach Taurai Mangwiro attributing
the defeat to the Malawi
international’s error.
“We were just careless in the
manner we conceded that goal.
Today we started off well and we
looked more likely to win, but we
failed to avoid the goal. We only
had two scares, the goal and that
chance that hit the bar,” said Mangwiro.
With the victory, winning coach
Norman Mapeza sealed his arrival
at Mandava where he is slowly
establishing a fortress.
The former Galatasaray midfield
hardman commended his
charges for getting the better of
CAPS once again but admitted
that his opponents had done their
homework to make up for that
half a dozen goal harvest.
“I am happy we won the game
but today they did their homework
and history does not usually
repeat itself in football. It is still
too early to talk about winning
the Cup and even going to the final.
We will talk about that when
we get there,” he said.
It took 13 minutes for the hosts’
Zambian forward Obrey Chirwa
to present his credentials as the
biggest threat in the platinum
miners’ final third.
Under-pressure Nyirenda turned
Chirwa’s cross into his own net following
an intelligent solo run from
the centre line by the striker.
With the Zambian responsible
for Nyirenda’s howler, he threatened
to again torment CAPS like
he did in the 6-0 win in which he
grabbed a hat-trick.
Eight minutes later, pure platinum
play threatened to run over
their opponents but Tarisai Rukanda
was denied by the cross bar.
Chirwa then fired at goal but his
shot was scrambled away by a desperate
Dube following a brilliant
turn and shoot.
Five minutes before the breather,
CAPS nearly reduced arrears
but Gerald Phiri’s effort was
cleared on the goal line by Raphael
Muduviwa with Dynamos goalkeeper
target Petros Mhari in goal
a beaten man.
Ten minutes after the restart,
Pervington Zimunya fluffed another
chance for an equaliser
when he blew his effort over the
bar.
Mapeza’s charges survived a
few minutes of CAPS’ dominance
with Phiri and Leonard Fiyado
coming close.
Dube proved that he deserves
top billing when he ably repelled a
Elvis Moyo free kick late into the
CAPS United defender George Nyirenda challenges FC Platinum’s Benjamin Marere for the ball at Mandava Stadium yesterday.
Picture: Nelson Chekera.
game.
Chirwa’s injury-inspired substitution
reduced FC Platinum’s
attacking verve.
Mapeza seemed to be intent on
sitting back and protecting the
lead when he brought in Thabani
Kamusoko and Aaron Katebe to
protect the defense.
Kamusoko’s introduction proved
masterstroke as he combined well
with Simon Shoko to boss the midfield
where they starved CAPS of
clean supplies to their front runners.
Chibuku Super Cup: Kaindu faces stern test
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
HIGHLANDERS coach Kelvin
Kaindu must be feeling relieved
that he is not facing Dynamos
this afternoon.
Bosso cross swords today with
How Mine in a Chibuku Super
Cup quarterfinal match at Hartsfield.
Still smarting from last weekend’s
4-1 demolition by Dynamos
in a TM Pick n Pay Challenge
Cup, Highlanders have something
to divert attention from
that embarrassment.
The defeat by Dynamos sparked
outrage from Bosso fans and
claimed the scalp of captain Innocent
Mapuranga who has since
been replaced by Ariel Sibanda.
It also led to a two-week suspension
of striker Njabulo Ncube
while fellow forward Charles
Sibanda and linkman Joel Ngodzo
are now sitting on final warnings
for indiscipline.
How Mine could therefore provide
relief for Kaindu. But a loss
to the gold miners could ring the
death knell on Kaindu’s reign as
Bosso coach.
“On the Dynamos loss, these
are the kind of results that are
there. What is important now
is how you focus on the next
match,” said Kaindu.
“A derby is tricky and especially
that this is a Cup game. There
has to be a winner and we hope
we will be the better side.”
Kaindu is not mourning the
absence of suspended Ncube
who is yet to score since his July
return to Bosso.
“Every player in our team
is important. There are others
who can come in for Njabulo and
it will be their opportunity to
claim their stake in the team,”
he said.
Pre-match tension has already
characterise the match with How
Mine being barred from training
at the match venue.
The goal miners’ coach Luke
Masomere says “cheap politics”
was at play to frustrate them
ahead of the game.
Masomere claims they were
denied entry into Hartsfield on
Tuesday before they trained on
the stadium’s B field.
He also said he agreed with
Highlanders that on Wednesday
they would train at the main arena
in the morning before Bosso
work-out in the afternoon but
they were again denied entry.
According to Masomere, the
same story occurred on Thursday
before they were completely
locked out on Friday when they
were not allowed to even train on
the B field.
“The stadium does not even
belong to Highlanders but we are
undeterred by the cheap politics.
It is actually confusion,” said
Masomere.
“Apart from all those frustrations,
we are ready for them. Morale
is high in our camp and we
are not under pressure.”
It would be Masomere’s third
game in charge after recording a
loss and a win so far.
The coach welcomes on his
side Menard Mupera from a
long-term injury while Timothy
January and Nhasha Mukumbi
are out injured together with
teenage goalkeeper Donovan
Bernard who has a huge grassburn
on his thigh.