CAPS surrender Zambezi cup to BB
Caps United return to Zimbabwe without the Zambezi Challenge Cup. They surrendered it to Big Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium yesterday after succumbing 2-1 to Chiukepo Msowoya’s last-gasp thunderbolt.
Msowoya squeezed in the winner with a characteristic turn-and-pull the trigger move following a through pass from veteran winger Fischer Kondowe whose 12th minute opener for Bullets was cancelled out by Ishmael Thindwa.
However, the only blot of the game, played on a chilly afternoon in front of a reluctant average crowd, was that Caps Malawian defender George Nyirenda was shown a red card for bad mouthing and there was no sight of the trophy. Bullets will pocket K3 million (US$6 667) while Caps will receive K1 million.
Watched by Caps chairperson Twine Phiri who has roots in Mangochi, the cup final was a complete Malawians’ affair.
In grabbing the opener, Caps’ Clive Sibanda fouled Msowoya before Kondowe stepped forward to chip in his dipping direct free-kick past badly stationed goalkeeper ItaiChiwara. Minutes later, Msowoya scorched Chiwara’s palms with a bullet.
In response, Caps employed their traditional counter-attacking game to great effect as Thindwa pounced on Bullets defender Miracle Gabeya’s ill-timed back pass to turn past Bashir Maunde and glance in his low shot past goalkeeper ChimwemweKunkwawa.
Kunkwawa, Maunde and another defender SankhaniMkandawire eventually left the pitch with injuries after being bruised by the hard-pressing Caps. Caps captain of the day, Nyirenda, eventually got marching orders in added time.
The two teams had gone to half-time at 1-1 draw. After break, Caps had a goal disallowed for offside, then Victor Limbani’s shot off a rebound was smothered by the visitors’ ‘keeper.
In a counter-attack, Malawian Gerald Phiri should have put Caps in front, but when meeting Thindwa’s sweeping cross, he toe-poked the ball marginally wide of substitute goalkeeper Owen Chaima, who replaced Kunkwawa. Caps’ substitute Carlos Messi also missed in similar manner when the Zimbabweans counterattacked from the right.
With the clock ticking, Bullets pulled out Tizgobere Kumwenda, Mkandawire and Limbani for Mussa Manyenje, Dave Ng’ambi and Henry Kabichi respectively.
Exciting winger Dalitso Sailesi combined well in attack with Manyenje who thought he had put Bullets ahead on the 76th minute, but Caps ‘keeper pulled off a spectacular save.
The pendulum swung to the other end in a swift counter-attack, but again, just when Phiri thought he had scored, the upright came to the rescue of Bullets. With both teams missing chances, Msowoya was granted acres of space to thump in a stupendous winner a minute before Caps defender RodwellMuhlanga denied him a second when sweeping the ball off the line.
Then Nyirenda got marching orders. The final whistle excited coachNsanzurwimo Ramadhan, whose squad was without right-back PiliraniZonda.
“It was a physical game, which was a morale booster. We corrected a little bit of some mistakes and it gives us the confidence,” said Ramadhan whose charges are tuning up for a 2015 CAF Champions League first-round, first leg match against Al Hilal in Sudan next week.
Caps assistant coach BrenaMsiska, whose charges beat Silver Strikers 2-0 through Phiri’s double on Sunday, questioned Nyirenda’s dismissal and claimed that Msowoya’s goal was from an off side position.
