DeMbare, CAPS in Dull, Dismal Derby

By Augustine Hwata

CAPS united….0

Dynamos……..(1) 1

HARARE – For all the pre-match hype generated by this game, the Harare Derby was a huge yawn, and fittingly, it had to be decided by a penalty as Dynamos maintained their four-year stranglehold on rivals CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

The win pushed Dynamos to 18 points and they are now just three points behind leaders FC Platinum and two behind Highlanders, who are tied on 20 points with How Mine after a surprise defeat to the newboys yesterday.

The Harare Derby was barely recognisable as the biggest game in the capital, if not in the country, and it fell way short of justifying its status as the flagship fixture of the Castle Lager Premiership.

A poor pitch at the giant stadium, which made it difficult for the players to control the ball, didn’t help matters and for long periods the game staggered, without any life or colour, it was an insult to the thousands who gathered to witness what was supposed to be a showcase event.

Overzealous referee, Pedzisayi Chadya, who handled this match as if he was taking charge of a table tennis contest where no physical contact was allowed, also played a big part in taking the fire out of this showdown.

The build-up to the game had centred on Washington Pakamisa, facing his former team for the first time in the DeMbare colours, and the CAPS’ squad of Ronald Pfumbidzai, Dominic Chungwa, Tawanda Nyamandwe and Hardlife Zvirekwi.

Incredibly, none of these players made any positive impact on the game and the hardworking Pakamisa was only limited to one sharp chance, on the blind side in the first half, which he hooked over the target.

The CAPS United striking pair of Chungwa and Nyamandwe were easily dealt with by the DeMbare central defensive duo of Gift Bello and Partson Jaure and there was one good opening for Nyamandwe in the first half but, under pressure, he fired over.

For all the buzz that has followed Zvirekwi, he never showed up for the big occasion.

Pfumbidzai was at fault, in the decisive moment of a very, very poor game in the 26th minute, when he clipped the heel of former CAPS United forward, Clive Kawinga, starting his first match in the Glamour Boys’ colours.

The referee, who was close to the action, spotted the foul and pointed to the spot with Devon Chafa, one of the few players to emerge out of this contest having done justice to his growing profile, sending ‘keeper Tafadzwa Dube the wrong side with an expertly taken penalty.

CAPS United coach, Taurai Mangwiro, felt the penalty and some of the decisions made by Chadya made the difference.

“I think we gave it a good fight and we could have escaped, at least, with a point but unfortunately it was not to be,” said Mangwiro.

That point could have been secured, in the most dramatic of fashion, with the last touch of the game when skipper Tapiwa Khumbuyani’s fine header, with ‘keeper George Chigova a beaten man, kissed the upright and bounced clear.

“That is what happens when its not your day. You need some luck at times. Everyone was sleeping when the ball came in the box and it ricocheted off the upright and we lost the match,” said Mangwiro.

“It’s tough luck and we have other fixtures coming ahead. Let’s look forward to them with a positive mind.

“The penalty and the goal was the turning point for the match. If we are to go back and rewind the tape to look at the incidents leading to the penalty, I have my own reservations on some of the decisions.

“But if the referee felt that it was a penalty, and even some of the decisions that he had against us were fair, then it’s fine but we are not despairing and we have to keep on working hard and hope for the best in future.”

Mangwiro, one of the few coaches in the Premiership to have beaten Callisto Pasuwa since he took over as DeMbare coach, after he guided Monomotapa to victory last year, said his troops could not recover after the setback of the penalty.

CAPS United last beat Dynamos in a league match in April 2009, when Nyasha Mushekwi scored a brace at Rufaro while Oscar Machapa had a field day on Sam Mutenheri.

But the Green Machine are yet to score, even a single goal, in three league matches and a Mbada Diamonds Cup semi-final against their rivals since Callisto Pasuwa took over as coach at DeMbare.

“We were passive when we started the match in the first half but we picked up the game in the second period. Had we done more in the first half, perhaps we could have rescued the match,” said Mangwiro.

Dynamos coach Pasuwa was naturally pleased to get the three points but conceded that there was very little between the two sides and the game could have gone either way.

“What we wanted was to collect three points. It’s not that we played very well, CAPS United were in control of the game for most of the time but at the end of the day it’s the points that are needed for a team to be in better position on the log,” said Pasuwa.

“We are very happy to win this derby and the plan now is to collect more points along the way. We are on fourth position on the log but we want to push to second before mid-season.”

Dynamos had some chances to increase their lead in the first half but Chafa unleashed a thunderbolt from some 40 yards only for Dube to go airborne and make a very good save.

Tawanda Muparati was also denied by the goalkeeper from close range while Kawinga was a shed too slow to shoot, after getting into a good position, and allowed the CAPS United defence to block his goal-bound shot.

“We should have pushed for more goals but looking at the pace which CAPS United were coming at us, this one goal was enough,” said Pasuwa.

Pasuwa started with former CAPS United strikers Pakamisa and Kawinga upfront while former Dynamos defender George Magariro partnered Arnold Chivheya in the Green Machine’s defence.

“We had Patrick Khumbula who was supposed to start but he was injured and we sent in Kawinga,” said Pasuwa.

The DeMbare coach made a huge surprise by leaving out Ugandan international, Boban Zirintusa, maybe because of fears he could not handle the tough challenges of this contest, and his absence was clearly felt.

When he finally came in, he showed the touches of brilliance that had been lacking in his team and was good value for the minutes that he played in his first Harare Derby. The Herald

Teams:

CAPS United: T. Dube, J. Mutambiranwa (K. Bulaji 47th min), T. Munyanduri, G. Magariro, H. Zvirekwi (M. Muchenje min 72nd), R. Pfumbidzai, R. Kutsanzira(L. Fiyado min 83rd ), D. Chungwa, A. Chivheya, T. Nyamandwe, T. Khumbuyani

Dynamos: G. Chigova, M. Murape (M. Mupasiri 85th min), T. Muparati, D. Chafa, C. Kawinga (B. Ziruntusa 64th min), T. Magorimbo, G. Bello, M. Bello, O. Mushure, P. Jaure, M. Kadzola.