Sports / Soccer
Caps United bury Harare City
25 Apr 2016 at 06:39hrs | Views
CAPS United 2 - 1 Harare City
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes he won the battle of the wits against Harare City as the tactical change he made saw his charges come from behind to collect all the points in a Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The Green Machine found themselves on the back-foot two minutes into the game when Harare City forward Honey Chimutimunzeve scored a beautiful goal but they refused to keep their heads down.
The Harare giants came back into game before going for the breather when Joel Ngodzo, who was unmarked in the box, got to the end of a cross from Phineas Bamusi and shot into the nets at the stroke of half-time.
CAPS United midfielder Tafadzwa Rusike then rose from the bench to create the all-important goal in the 57th minute when he made a good run in the middle of the park and laid the ball to striker Dominic Chungwa who made no mistake from close range.
Rusike, who provided Makepekepe with the impetus they needed after levelling the scores, was introduced at the restart as replacement for defensive midfielder Kudzai Nyamupfukudza.
And it is this tactical change which CAPS United gaffer believes paid off for his team which remains unbeaten and now has seven points from three matches.
"What we thought was Tafadzwa was obviously needed to give the forward thrust hence the decision to take off Kudzi, who I thought had a brilliant game. But we only had to change tactics with the belief that if we are to have someone who can give us the leverage of going forward, we would get the maximum points and we did that and it worked for us," said Chitembwe.
The former CAPS United midfielder says the victory was a huge morale booster for his side coming in the back of a turmoil in their camp which saw their skipper Method Mwanjali and midfielder Archiford Gutu having a brush with the law.
Furthermore, the victory will boost their confidence ahead of the Harare derby against Dynamos this coming weekend.
Interestingly, Dynamos, who were winless going into the weekend games, also got an important victory yesterday against Mutare City Rovers to fire up the blockbuster game.
"Every result is important, especially a result like this. So it is not really about Dynamos, we didn't do this to motivate ourselves against Dynamos. We are expected to win and I am happy the boys responded positively considering what happened to Archie for (Gutu) and Method (Mwanjali) during the course of the week. I am sure it was a very positive response."
While Chitembwe was happy with the way he read his game, his opposite Taurai Mangwiro blamed himself for failing to act fast, especially after he had lost his scorer Chimutimunzeve early in the game due to an injury.
Chimutimunzeve had to be substituted in the 41st minute for Kuda Kumwala, after he picked up an injury.
"After a very good start, somehow we conceded at a crucial stage with seconds to go to half-time. You would expect CAPS United to come pumped up (in the second half) and one lapse of concentration, when we were in control, they scored the second goal and that is what made the difference today.
"But I want to think we were slow in making our tactical substitutions, the biggest let down being the injury-inspired substitution where we lost Honey after he came off worse in a challenge. He is good in ball retention and somehow we lost his direction upfront and it is what allowed CAPS United to start their build-ups from the back, posing all sorts of problems for us in midfield. It is unfortunately we lost today," he said.
The former CAPS United coach, who has managed three points in as many matches following a 4-1 rout of Mutare City Rovers in the previous game, maintained his team hasn't started badly and believe they can get their stride in the coming matches.
"I wouldn't say we have done dismally as such if anything we have lost very close contests and we have Hwange coming up. If we can get maximum points in that one. We want to stay as much closer to the leading pack as we can and be ready to pounce when the opportunity presents itself," said Mangwiro.
The game was rather a matter of two halves with the hosts dominating in the first period with CAPS United striker Simba Nhivi, midfielder Phineas Bamusi and Joel Ngodzo missing some close chances.
The Sunshine Boys, after CAPS United had taken control of the game, tried to push for an equaliser, forcing goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo to make some crucial saves.
Chitembwe had to add numbers in defence as he pulled out his forward Nhivi and put Dennis Dauda to thwart some of the raids from Harare City midfielders Raphael Manuvire and Ronald Chitiyo.
Teams
CAPS United: J. Muchambo, H. Zvirekwi, R. Pfumbidzai, J. Jangano, S. Makatuka, K. Nyamupfukudza (T. Rusike 46th minute), M. Muchenje, P. Bamusi, J. Ngodzo (L. Tsipa 87th minute), S. Nhivi (D. Dauda 68th minute), D. Chungwa.
Harare City: M. Nyamupangedengu, M. Diro (B. Moyo 46th minute), A. Chiveya, R. Uchena, T. Ndlovu, F. Madhananga, T. Samanja, R. Chitiyo, W. Manondo (F. Zekumbawire 63rd minute), R. Manuvire, H. Chimutimunzeve (K. Kumwala 41min).
CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes he won the battle of the wits against Harare City as the tactical change he made saw his charges come from behind to collect all the points in a Castle Lager Premiership soccer match at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The Green Machine found themselves on the back-foot two minutes into the game when Harare City forward Honey Chimutimunzeve scored a beautiful goal but they refused to keep their heads down.
The Harare giants came back into game before going for the breather when Joel Ngodzo, who was unmarked in the box, got to the end of a cross from Phineas Bamusi and shot into the nets at the stroke of half-time.
CAPS United midfielder Tafadzwa Rusike then rose from the bench to create the all-important goal in the 57th minute when he made a good run in the middle of the park and laid the ball to striker Dominic Chungwa who made no mistake from close range.
Rusike, who provided Makepekepe with the impetus they needed after levelling the scores, was introduced at the restart as replacement for defensive midfielder Kudzai Nyamupfukudza.
And it is this tactical change which CAPS United gaffer believes paid off for his team which remains unbeaten and now has seven points from three matches.
"What we thought was Tafadzwa was obviously needed to give the forward thrust hence the decision to take off Kudzi, who I thought had a brilliant game. But we only had to change tactics with the belief that if we are to have someone who can give us the leverage of going forward, we would get the maximum points and we did that and it worked for us," said Chitembwe.
The former CAPS United midfielder says the victory was a huge morale booster for his side coming in the back of a turmoil in their camp which saw their skipper Method Mwanjali and midfielder Archiford Gutu having a brush with the law.
Furthermore, the victory will boost their confidence ahead of the Harare derby against Dynamos this coming weekend.
Interestingly, Dynamos, who were winless going into the weekend games, also got an important victory yesterday against Mutare City Rovers to fire up the blockbuster game.
"Every result is important, especially a result like this. So it is not really about Dynamos, we didn't do this to motivate ourselves against Dynamos. We are expected to win and I am happy the boys responded positively considering what happened to Archie for (Gutu) and Method (Mwanjali) during the course of the week. I am sure it was a very positive response."
Chimutimunzeve had to be substituted in the 41st minute for Kuda Kumwala, after he picked up an injury.
"After a very good start, somehow we conceded at a crucial stage with seconds to go to half-time. You would expect CAPS United to come pumped up (in the second half) and one lapse of concentration, when we were in control, they scored the second goal and that is what made the difference today.
"But I want to think we were slow in making our tactical substitutions, the biggest let down being the injury-inspired substitution where we lost Honey after he came off worse in a challenge. He is good in ball retention and somehow we lost his direction upfront and it is what allowed CAPS United to start their build-ups from the back, posing all sorts of problems for us in midfield. It is unfortunately we lost today," he said.
The former CAPS United coach, who has managed three points in as many matches following a 4-1 rout of Mutare City Rovers in the previous game, maintained his team hasn't started badly and believe they can get their stride in the coming matches.
"I wouldn't say we have done dismally as such if anything we have lost very close contests and we have Hwange coming up. If we can get maximum points in that one. We want to stay as much closer to the leading pack as we can and be ready to pounce when the opportunity presents itself," said Mangwiro.
The game was rather a matter of two halves with the hosts dominating in the first period with CAPS United striker Simba Nhivi, midfielder Phineas Bamusi and Joel Ngodzo missing some close chances.
The Sunshine Boys, after CAPS United had taken control of the game, tried to push for an equaliser, forcing goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo to make some crucial saves.
Chitembwe had to add numbers in defence as he pulled out his forward Nhivi and put Dennis Dauda to thwart some of the raids from Harare City midfielders Raphael Manuvire and Ronald Chitiyo.
Teams
CAPS United: J. Muchambo, H. Zvirekwi, R. Pfumbidzai, J. Jangano, S. Makatuka, K. Nyamupfukudza (T. Rusike 46th minute), M. Muchenje, P. Bamusi, J. Ngodzo (L. Tsipa 87th minute), S. Nhivi (D. Dauda 68th minute), D. Chungwa.
Harare City: M. Nyamupangedengu, M. Diro (B. Moyo 46th minute), A. Chiveya, R. Uchena, T. Ndlovu, F. Madhananga, T. Samanja, R. Chitiyo, W. Manondo (F. Zekumbawire 63rd minute), R. Manuvire, H. Chimutimunzeve (K. Kumwala 41min).
Source - the herald
