HARARE - CAPS United coach Taurai Mangwiro believes his team lacked the cutting edge following a one-all draw against ZPC Kariba in their Castle Premiership opener at Gwanzura Stadium yesterday.
The Green Machine overcame a poor first-half showing to eventually settle for a draw with second half substitute Dominic Chungwa cancelling a Pride Tafirenyike header in the first half.
Mangwiro’s men looked to be in control of the game especially in the second half, but they failed to find the net for the second time, prompting the gaffer to rue his blunt strikeforce.
“It’s one grey area from last year for us but we continue working with the guys and one of these days we will get it right,” Mangwiro said after the match.
“Even when we conceded we were still very much in control of the match and we just lacked precision in front of goal. We are disappointed to have dropped points but the future is looking bright for CAPS United.
“I thought we were unfortunate to have gone behind. We were in control of the match and we missed three good chances in the first five minutes that could have seen us go ahead.
“We went to sleep from a corner and they got a goal and grew in confidence. We had problems in midfield but once we rectified it in the second half we took the game to them.
“And with a bit of some luck I thought we could have collected all the three points.”
ZPC Kariba coach Saul Chaminuka was content with the draw.
“It’s a good result for us. This is the first match that we have played. We didn’t have enough preparations because of problems that we had. We get one point away from home. What else could you ask for.”
Makepekepe started the livelier of the two teams and could have surged ahead as early as the second minute but striker Leonard Fiyado shot weak at goal after he found himself one on one with ZPC Kariba goalkeeper Tendai Hove.
CAPS survived a scare after David Rediyoni fired from a close range on the 10th minute but Tafadzwa Dube did well to thwart him for a corner. Tafirenyika capitalised on some sloppy defending by CAPS United from the resultant corner kick to put ZPC ahead.
And buoyed by the goal ZPC Kariba started to dictate pace of the game especially in the midfield where former CAPS United players Rediyoni, Tafirenyika and Tawanda Nyamandwe had good game.
CAPS United were a much improved side in the second half and in the 71st minute substitute Chungwa who had earlier replaced wasteful Fiyado equalized for Makepekepe with a well taken goal inside the box. Chungwa received a cross from the left side and beautifully turned and shoot after finding space.
Gerald Phiri posed a threat from another set-piece eight minutes later, with a 25-yard shot that ZPC keeper was equal to low to his left. The matched progressed with CAPS United creating more scoring chances but their strikers were wasteful in front of goal.
Teams
CAPS: Tafadzwa Dube, Kumbuyani Banda, Blessing Zabula, Stephen Makatuka, Ronald Pfumbidzai, Tendai Samanja, Tinashe Mukanhairi, Gerald Phiri, Pevington Zimunya (Godknows Mangani, 71m), Leonard Fiyado (Dominic Chungwa, 60m), Tongai Magwendere (Moses Muchenje, 53m).
ZPC Kariba: Tendai Hove, Norman Togara, Dexter Phiri, Dennis Banda, Obey Mwerahari, Tawanda Munyanduri, Pride Tafirenyika (Tsepo Rathokoane, 82m), Raphael Manuvire, David Rediyoni (Limited Chikafa, 63m), Ephraim Mwenga, Tawanda Nyamandwe (Caleb Masocha, 60m).