It’s now our time: Muchenje

By Eddie Chikamhi

CAPS United skipper Moses Muchenje believes the goalposts on the domestic football scene have shifted and the Green Machine now feel they are the better and stronger team than their bitter rivals Dynamos.

Makepekepe, the league champions, powered to a 3-1 victory over the Glamour Boys in the first semi-final of the Zimbabwe National Army Charities at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

That result meant Dynamos have failed to beat Makepekepe in any competition since March 2015.

Leonard Tsipa and Dominic Chungwa were on target either side of the half on Sunday after DeMbare midfielder Wisdom Mutasa had inadvertently given Makepekepe the lead via an own goal.

Denver Mukamba pulled one back before the interval but it was not enough.

The last time Dynamos triumphed over CAPS United was two years ago when they posted a 2-1 win in the semi-final of the same competition at Rufaro.

“I think things have turned around, the goal posts have shifted now,” said Muchenje.

“It wasn’t easy, we fought very hard to win that game. I am very happy we dominated again like what we did last season because these derbies are the kind of games we should be winning.

“Dynamos are a good team, we respect them. They did put up a commendable performance but we managed to overcome them.”

DeMbare and CAPS United played out identical 1-1 draws in the league in 2015.

They also played in the Sino-Zimbabwe Cup pre-season tournament, which CAPS United won 6-5 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1 in regulation time.

And last year they played twice, with Makepekepe finishing on top.

They won for the first time in the league, ending a seven-year wait, before staging a miraculous fightback from three goals down to force a 3-3 draw.

Muchenje said the spirits were high in camp.

“Considering we won this match, the spirits in the camp can only rise.

“We are now looking forward to the TP Mazembe match and from the mistakes that we saw in this match, I am sure we can only improve.

“I think it will help us in our preparations for the match against TP Mazembe,” said Muchenje.

Dynamos coach Lloyd Mutasa is battling to assemble a competitive side after the likes of Godknows Murwira, Dominic Mukandi, Sydney Linyama, Stephen Alimenda, Tatenda Mukuruva, Bret Amidu and Rodreck Mutuma all left the club.

Former Young Warriors forward Emmanuel Mandiranga, Cleopas Kapupurika, Phakamani Dube, Gift Saunyama, Valentine Kadonzvo, Kudzanayi Dhemere, Tatenda Muringani and ex-CAPS United’s Romario Matova are the latest arrivals at the Glamour Boys.

“We have to look at the bigger picture. This is our third preparatory match and I would like to believe we are still work in progress and we hope by the time we get to April, we will have rectified some of the mistakes we made.

“If you look at the element of match fitness, some of the guys are getting there.

“Like I said, this is only our third game and we didn’t expect the majority to play the match to its fullness.

“So I would like to applaud some of the charges, they really showed that in terms of match fitness they are getting there, up to 90 percent.

“There is a little bit of cohesion and there is an understanding that is coming up as well, although it’s still early days.

“Building a team is always a process but being a Dynamos coach, you would like to build a team and at the same time you also have to produce results. But I am sure with the way the youngsters are coping up we will be able to compete this season,” said Mutasa. The Herald