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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

GUNNED down by airforce side Chapungu United before losing the ground battle to Black Rhinos, coalminers Hwange will be hoping to rise from the two defeats when they face high riding Caps United at the Colliery Stadium on Sunday.

Makepekepe are enjoying a purple patch and sit at the top of the log standings with 19 points; one point ahead of another title chasing side Chicken Inn, while Chipangano, who returned to the big boys’ club this year after a season in the second tier league, are seventh with 13 points.

“We are preparing well and of course normally without any special tactics for Caps United because we don’t think there is anything special about them since they too are part of the league,” said a bullish Hwange coach Nation Dube.

He said they are approaching the Sunday encounter with the objective of collecting maximum points.

“Points might have been dropped in the last two games against Chapungu and Black Rhinos, but that doesn’t mean we were playing badly. It was just mistakes by some of our youngsters in the team,” said Dube.

Chipangano, however, will be without field leader Gerald “Choto” Ndlovu due to illness, with Dube saying they have an able replacement for the defender, who has been partnering another veteran defender Felix Chindungwe in central defence.

“It’s an opportunity for the youngster we will throw in to show what he has. As coaches we believe the youngster will do a good job,” said Dube.

The last time the two teams met at the Colliery in 2017, Makepekepe prevailed 1-0, while Chipangano last beat Caps United in 2014, a 2-1 score line, in an ill-tempered encounter that had four red cards.