RODRICK Mutuma scored a late goal to send Dynamos through to the semi-finals of the One Wallet Cup at the expense of city rivals Caps United in a match played at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1 Caps United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
The lanky striker tapped home from close range with just eight minutes remaining in the match as Dynamos became the only seeded team from the quarter-final draw to make it through to the next round after Highlanders, FC Platinum and Harare City all fell by the wayside over the weekend.
The other teams who made it to the semi-finals of the $500 000 Cup are Triangle, Chicken Inn and How Mine. The draw for the semis will be made in due course.
Kalisto Pasuwa, who has lost once against Caps United since taking over the reins at Dynamos in 2011, said yesterday’s win would give his side the much-needed confidence going into the next league derby on Sunday when the two teams clash again within a space of three weeks.
He praised goal-scorer Mutuma.
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“I’m happy for the team and for myself as well,” he said.
“We were playing better and creating chances and we knew it was just a matter of time before we got a score. It will obviously give us confidence going into the next match which is against the same team. We will have to play them again, such is the game of soccer, we cannot run away from it.
“Some of the strikers run away from the box, but he (Mutuma) is one guy who does not shy away from good positions. It’s one of his strengths and he is not afraid to try or to make a mistake,” added Pasuwa.
Taurai Mangwiro thought his side were the better team, but were just unlucky not to win the match.
“It was a fierce contest, but we went to sleep in the dying minutes and they punished us. We fought back, but unfortunately it was not enough. But overall we did well. We took the game to them, but it was just not our day,” he said.
With the competition having kicked off on Friday with a double header at Mandava which was followed up by the Highlanders-How Mine clash at Ascot the following day, attention turned to the big Harare derby, but there was really nothing much to write home about.
Dynamos goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi was the busiest of the two goalkeepers as the clock approached the half-hour mark. He was forced to make a double block save to deny Tapiwa Kumbuyani.
Mutuma thought he had done enough to break the impasse on 28th minute, but Caps United goalie Jorum Muchambo somehow scooped back the striker’s header which was heading for the top right corner.
A minute later, Dynamos had a strong shout for a penalty when David Chipala appeared to wrestle down Washington Pakamisa inside the box, but the referee was not convinced. Chipala got injured during the tussle and was immediately substituted for Malawian George Nyirenda.
On 36th minute, the Mangwiro side got a free-kick inside Gerald Phiri’s territory, but the Malawian — who scored an equaliser for his side against the same opposition last week from a similar range — could not find the target this time around and the two sides went to the break goalless.
The start of the second half saw the first talking point arriving on 56th minute when Caps United thought they should have been awarded a penalty after Ocean Mushure appeared to control the ball with his hand.
Referee Thabani Bamala waved play on as he did when the ball appeared to hit Themba Ndlovu’s hand late in the match.
Caps United introduced another foreigner — Ismael Thindwa — replacing his fellow Malawian Phiri just after the hour mark, but his effect on the game was just minimal.
Pasuwa made his own substitutions too — a double change when he brought in Simba Sithole and DRC import Fabrice Mbimba who was also making his debut for Murape Murape and Washington Pakamisa with 15 minutes remaining.
It was Sithole who made the huge difference seven minutes after coming in when he ran behind the defenders on the left wing before delivering a cross which was directed into the nets by Mutuma, with the striker earning himself a yellow card for removing his shirt in celebrations.
Caps had good chances in the dying minutes to equalise and perhaps to get the winning goal, but Thindwa headed over when left unmarked inside the box while Fiyado blasted over from a similar position, all inside the three minutes of additional time.
Teams Dynamos: A Mukandi, B Moyo, O Mushure, T Ndlovu, A Mbara, S Alimenda, R Chitiyo, M Murape (F Mbimba, 75th min), R Madamombe (F Mupasiri, 59th min), R Mutuma, W Pakamisa (S Sithole, 75th min)
Caps United: J Muchambo, T Kumbuyani, D Chipala (G Nyirenda, 28th min), S Makatuka, R Pfumbidzai, T Samanja, D Mukandi (M Muchenje, 85th min), H Zvirekwi, G Phiri (I Thindwa, 66th min), L Fiyado, P Zimunya
