Tsipa returns for Bosso tie

By Petros Kausiyo

BIG striker Leonard Tsipa has returned to CAPS United duties, boosting Makepekepe’s attack ahead of their classic Battle of the Cities Premiership showdown against Highlanders at Rufaro on Sunday.

CAPS United’s meetings with Highlanders have always been do-or-die battles and with the Harare side still in with a mathematical chance of snatching the championship title, it should be another crunch tie between two sides that have a history of producing thrilling duels.

Bosso will also arrive in the capital eager to avenge the humiliation they suffered at the hands of CAPS United in the corresponding fixture in which the Bulawayo giants were crushed 4-1 at Gwanzura.

In that fixture on the last day of the season, it was a swim-or-sink affair for CAPS United who needed nothing short of victory to avoid the ignominy of relegation.

But unlike that period last year, CAPS United will troop into battle on Sunday still in with a chance to fight for the title in which a consistent run of form and a major slip-up by any one of Gunners, Dynamos and Lengthens would hand them the title.

Lloyd Chitembwe’s men are currently fourth but they believe they could still snatch the title from under the noses of city rivals Gunners, Dynamos and Lengthens, who are all above them.

CAPS United’s 1-0 triumph over Njube Sundowns at Rufaro last weekend means they remain dark horses in the race.

Makepekepe, who have played two games less than leaders Gunners and are 11 points adrift of Moses Chunga’s men, actually believe that victory over Bosso on Sunday will be crucial to their aspirations of staying within shouting distance of the leading pack.

They also know that a possible second-place finish would be enough to guarantee them a ticket to next year’s Champions League, which will be exactly four years after their last dance with Africa’s biggest club knockout competition.

CAPS United’s last romance with the Champions League in March 2006 ended in disappointment after they were booted out of the competition by the Confederation of African Football for using an improperly registered player — Malawian defender George Martins.

Makepekepe have since that year constantly fought against relegation and often failed to transform their dominance in cup games to the league.

But it is the return of their in-form striker Tsipa yesterday which left team manager Wilson Mutekede with a “positive headache of who to leave out’’.

Tsipa was away for the last two weeks attending trials at South African Premiership giants Mamelodi Sundowns and only came back home on Tuesday night before joining his teammates at training at Danny Bismark yesterday.

Crucially for CAPS United, Tsipa has returned with a bang this season and has been using his experience to lead the Cup Kings’ attack.

The big 27-year-old striker had an unhappy spell at old enemies Dynamos last season before deciding to return to his roots.

Fiery winger Tafadzwa Rusike, who rose from the bench to torment Bosso last year, is still around and also available for CAPS United on Sunday amid indications that he may have to wait a little longer to complete his intended move to Mpumalanga Black Aces of South Africa.

Although they had been impressed by the talented forward, Mpumalanga Aces are understood to have already exhausted their foreign quota and with the South African transfer window closing on Monday, chances of the young forward moving south of the Limpopo now appear very slim.

It also appears to be the same story with Tsipa who reportedly impressed during his trial stint at Sundowns, but there are indications that the Pretoria outfit has enough foreigners on their books, including Zimbabwe midfielder Esrom Nyandoro.

Mutekede yesterday chose to speak about the impact of Tsipa’s return to the CAPS United cause, but referred questions on the player’s move to South Africa to club chairman Maxwell Mironga.

Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mironga were fruitless, but Mutekede said CAPS United were also eager to win Sunday’s match against a Bosso side that held them 1-1 in the reverse fixture at Barbourfields.

Mutekede was confident that with Tsipa back in their attack and influential defender Method Mwanjali back to full fitness, Bosso would arrive at Rufaro to face a different proposition.

“We have been preparing well this week and we actually have a headache in terms of selection. Everyone is back, we have a clean bill of health and we are particularly pleased with the return of Leonard.

“He joined us at training today, he had been at Sundowns for trials and I understand he even scored in one of the games he was tried.

“We are told he did very well, maybe the only hiccup that he could face is that of the foreign quota.

“Tafadzwa Rusike is also still around and I think he is having the same problem of the foreign quota, but Mironga has more details on all that,’’ Mutekede said.

The CAPS United team manager also reckoned that coach Chitembwe will have little problems motivating his charges “because these big games always bring the best of the players’’.

“When we went to Bulawayo for the first game, we had a number of injuries and we had to force Pardon Marime and Method to play while half fit but now, except for Oscar (Machapa), everyone is fully fit.

Mutekede was, however, under no illusion about the threat posed by Highlanders despite the Bulawayo giants having an indifferent season by their standards.

“Highlanders have historically given us a good run and it will be a very tough game, but we are playing at home and that should give us an advantage.

“Like what Madinda (Ndlovu) has said, he is building a new side and considering that they lost a number of players from last year, I think they have done well in terms of their objectives.

“They might not challenge for the league honours this year, but certainly this Highlanders side is a competitive outfit and they have a very good and young squad,’’ Mutekede said.

The CAPS United-Bosso showdown is the biggest game in the capital in which four Premiership matches have been lined up for Sunday.

There are also interesting duels pitting Gunners and the resurgent Kiglon at Gwanzura, Motor Action against Lloyd Mutasa’s Shooting Stars at Callies while Eagles date Lengthens in a game which will mark Bigboy Mawiwi’s return to face the Happy People he dumped in a surprise move during the mid-season break.

Although there are doubts that Sunday’s showdown between CAPS United and Highlanders could rise to the classic battle of 2004 at the National Sports Stadium which ended with Bosso edging Makekepepe 4-3, it should be another close contest that should give fans full value for their money. Source: The Herald