CAPS on cruise control

Tadious Manyepo

Zimpapers Sports Hub

CAPS United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1)1

TelOne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi believes it is important for his charges to keep on grinding results.

He was speaking after yesterday’s 1-0 win over TelOne at Rufaro which stretched their lead at the top of the Castle Lager Premiership by two points.

They bossed and pinned down struggling TelOne in this entertaining Premiership, but could only score a goal.

The Green Machine got the winner through the boot of striker Takunda Benhura seven minutes before the break.

Makepekepe needed to quickly shake off the casual performance that saw them drop points in a 1-1 draw with the other league strugglers FC Hunters last week.

They threw energy in abundance, and they were actually unlucky not to finish off the game inside the first half hour.

But the Takesure Chiragwi boys still did enough to earn a win over a surprisingly out-of-sorts WiFi Boys, thanks to Hardrock and Ngezi Platinum’s 2-2 draw in their own game that meant the former dropped down two points.

“I think what is important is for us to keep on winning,” Chiragwi said.

“Like I always say, you play to win every time. But today (yesterday), I think we did it so much in terms of how we played.”

Chiragwi had affirmed CAPS United needed to respond after that 1-1 draw against FC Hunters.

His boys marched to the party even as TelOne’s Innocent Mucheneka and Jerry Chipangura’s stinging strikes looked to go in at the other end and goalkeeper Wallace Magalane raising his hand for recognition.

That end-to-end show added to the aesthetics local football is now displaying.

But Makepekepe were always going to clip a win, not least with TelOne goalkeeper Takudzwa Chikosi looking lost in between the posts.

The former Triangle goalkeeper nearly gifted the hosts inside the opening minute when fumbling an easy catch but MacDonald Makuwe somehow let him and TelOne were off the hook. Chikosi never quite settled even after saving Chawanangwa Kaonga and Brett Amidu’s successive headers almost from point blank range. Captain Frank Makarati made a messy clearance and Makepekepe’s Talent Chamboko reacted quickly to send a dipping cross that Amidu headed back after noticing Chikosi had moved off his line.

Benhura controlled and slotted in what would turn out to be the winner, especially given the Green Machine have never lost or drawn a match they have taken the lead this year.

This is only the eighth week in the top-flight race, but Makepekepe’s solidity is all over the show as they have remained in the lead right from Match Day 1.

“Maybe we could have gone to half-time leading, probably by three, but you also need to give credit to the goalkeeper (Magalane), and all the defenders are clearing those balls which is also good for team,” said Chiragwi.

“But at the end of the day, we managed to get one, and they defended that one goal. That is very good.

“I think it’s very important to make sure you are very consistent in performance and keep on grinding results.

“This result is going to give us a very good advantage. You know, playing a league, it’s a marathon. So, when you’re starting the league and you manage to grind this out, one is here to make sure that you can also build the team to understand one another in terms of how we want them to perform.

“At the end of the day, if you are trying to do that and get results, you need to respect the players and give them the credit, because what they are doing, once we get into the groove, I think it’s going to be good for CAPS United.”

TelOne weren’t submissive in their defeat. Striker Tawanda Macheke rattled a header off the upright, and they camped in Makepekepe’s defensive third for most of the last quarter of the match.

But they were never going to hit CAPS United given they remained disciplined at the back. The defeat was a huge body blow for TelOne who have failed to win any game in eight attempts.

Coach Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa is brave and maintained the Gweru club isn’t pressing the panic button as yet.

Teams

CAPS United: Wallace Magalane, Talent Chamboko (Tinotenda Make 65min) Nyasha Gurende, Kudzai Chigwida, McDonald Makuwe(Kundai Benyu 46min), Richard Hachiro, Brett Amidu (Lloyd Njaliwa 65min), Chawanangwa Kaonga (Obriel Chirinda 84min), Brian Kadamanja, Ishmael Wadi (Alleny Mukombedzi 65min), Takunda Benhura

TelOne: Takudzwa Chikosi, Leeroy Murape (Nkosiyabo Masilela 55min), Bruno Mtigo (Donald Teguru 46min), Blessing Matebeck,  Innocent Mucheneka, Tawanda Macheke (Elton Chikona 85min), Nqobizitha Masuku (Calvin Chigara 46min), Chelsea Nyakope,  Zibusiso Ruguchu,  Jerry Chipangura (Farai Matatu 55min), Frank Makarati