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Eddie Chikamhi Harare Bureau
Dynamos 1-0 Caps United
Roderick Mutuma yesterday won praises from his coach Callisto Pasuwa after the Dynamos striker grabbed a late goal that sunk bitter rivals Caps United in a tightly contested quarter-final of the NetOne One Wallet Cup tie at the National Sports Stadium yesterday. Mutuma, who was making his third start since coming back from an unhappy stint in South Africa, appeared determined to make his presence felt after scoring his second goal for the Harare giants.

The self-styled prince was at the right place inside the box to meet a good pass from substitute Simba Sithole first time, beating goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo in the 79th minute.

Pasuwa has often revealed his worry about his side’s strikeforce but yesterday he had special compliments for Mutuma’s industry and courage to take the responsibility upfront.

The striker twice came close to scoring with headers but was not lucky enough with his head in both halves yesterday.
Mutuma announced his return to the fold with a headed goal in a league match against Hwange two weeks ago but last week he messed up some good opportunities in the first leg of the Harare Derby against the Green Machine at the same venue.

DeMbare and Caps United grinded a 1-1 draw in a league match last week. Interestingly the giants were drawn against each other in the quarter-finals of the One Wallet Cup and there were high expectations from both sets of supporters.

There had to be a winner in this game, with the prospects of heading straight to the penalty shootout in case of a stalemate in regulation time.

However, Pasuwa yesterday said he had confidence in his players as he had stressed to them that they did not want the match to go to penalties.

“It was a matter of time, the goals were going to come. I have been talking to these players. Some of them are running away from the box but he (Mutuma) is one guy who is always in the 16-yard box looking for goals and as a result he got that goal.

“It was a cup game so we were saying we shouldn’t have to sit back, we had to attack because we didn’t want to go to the penalties,” said Pasuwa.
DeMbare joined How Mine, Chicken Inn and Triangle who are now set for another draw in the semi-finals of the tournament.

Dynamos midfielder Ronald Chitiyo, for all his brilliance, twice could have done better for his team in the first half but his touch betrayed him.

Chitiyo found himself unmarked at the end of a corner kick by Augustine Mbara but could not connect his shot well with 20 minutes played.

Soon he was sent through the middle by Washington Pakamisa following a good move by Mutuma on the right and disappointingly sent his shot over the bar.

Then Caps United suffered a setback when their defender David Chipala was taken out injured with a dislocated knee cap following a collision with a DeMbare player.

Their coach Taurayi Mangwiro had to throw into the fray the untested Malawian import George Nyirenda for his first match.
With their chief striker Dominic Chungwa not available for this match, Makepekepe were always found wanting upfront as Leonard Fiyado and Pervington Zimunya failed to take the initiative against DeMbare’s makeshift defence.

Zimbabwe international Hardlife  Zvirekwi was inspirational for Makepekepe but their forays always lacked the killer punch.
The Dynamos technical side had to pair Themba Ndlovu with Mbara in the place of Partson Jaure who is close to making a move to South Africa’s Pretoria University.

Pasuwa also gave their new player Fabrice Mbimba a run in the last 15 minutes. The win left Dynamos with the bragging rights they have often claimed in the last five years of their rivalry.

Mangwiro said it was another bad day in office against the arch-rivals.
“It was a fierce contest but we went to sleep and they punished us. We wanted to progress and we fought very hard. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough.

“But overall we did well. We were also taking the game to them. I thought we were in there with a chance. I don’t think there was much to separate the teams today.

“We were matching each other pound for pound. Unfortunately we conceded at the most crucial point of the game and it was always difficult to come back. Tough luck to Caps United family, let’s live to fight another day,” said Mangwiro.

Teams
Dynamos: A Mukandi, B Moyo, O Mushure, A Mbara, T Ndlovu, S Alimenda, R Madamombe (Mupasiri, 59th minute), R Chitiyo, M Murape (Sithole, 72nd minute), R Mutuma, W Pakamisa (Mbimba, 72nd minute)

Caps Utd: J Muchambo, T Khumbuyani, D Chipala (Nyirenda, 30th minute),  S Makatuka, R Pfumbidzai, T Samanja, D Mukandi (Muchenje, 83rd minute), G Phiri (Thindwa, 61st minute),  H Zvirekwi, P Zimunya, L Fiyado