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Chapungu 2-1 Caps United

AIRMEN Chapungu ended their 10-match winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Caps United in a Castle Lager premiership match played at Ascot Stadium yesterday.

The Gweru side got their goals through Philip Marufu in the 20th minute and Allan Tavarwisa 11 minutes after the breather.

Caps United got their consolation through a Leonard Tsipa effort in the 73rd minute.

The win means Chapungu complete a double over the Green Machine whom they beat by the same margin in the reverse fixture.

“Waru Waru” who had last tasted victory in May, were the hungrier of the two teams. They dictated the pace in the midfield through winger Nhlanhla Ncube and Hillary Mugoniwa but it was Caps United who had the first scoring opportunity in the 10th minute.

This was after Phineas Bamusi had whipped in a cross in Chapungu’s goal area but Moses Muchenje failed to connect his diving header.

Chapungu immediately replied when a Ncube corner kick which seemed to go in was cleared off the line by Stephen Makatuka.

Marufu then ensured that “Waru Waru” surged ahead in the 20th minute when he was set up by Mugoniwa and fired a scorcher that beat Joram Muchambo in goal for Caps United.

The goal seemed to spur Chapungu on as they began to have the lion’s share of possession. Caps United could have restored parity six minutes from the breather when a Tsipa freekick hit the woodwork before the hosts rearguard cleared their lines.

The second half began with the airmen on the ascendancy and were to be rewarded for their industrious play in the 56th minute when Mugoniwa flighted a cross in the opponents’ box which was connected first time by Tavarwisa.

The goal saw Mark Mathe, the Caps United coach making some tactical changes. He took out the duo of Calton Munzabwa and Pedro Mansogo for Takudzwa Mahori and Joel Ngodzo in the 62nd minute. The move brought some urgency as the visitors started to take control of the midfield.

Caps United were rewarded in the 73rd minute after some fine build up. Tsipa pulled one back from inside the box, a goal which instilled some self belief in the Caps United players.

However, Chapungu simply camped in their own territory and were content with waiting for the visitors to come at them moreso as they were now 10 men down after Blessing Zabula had been red carded for a careless lunge on Bamusi.

After the game, Mathe blamed a lacklustre first half for the defeat.

“I think we didn’t commit ourselves in the first half and when we made tactical changes in the second half, Chapungu had already wrapped the game,” he said before he was whisked away by Caps United supporters who did not want him to speak to journalists as they felt referee Masakadza Makonese had ended the match prematurely.

A visibly relieved John Nyikadzino was over the moon that his side had brought to an end its winless spell.

He said: “It was a sweet victory for us. I wish we could play Caps United more often because they’re good at donating points to us. I dedicate this win to the players for the self belief they had.”