We got our tactics wrong: Tamirepi

Sport
ZPC Kariba assistant coach Godfrey Tamirepi has admitted they were the masters of their own downfall saying they got their tactics wrong in their defeat to Caps United which handed Dynamos the championship for the fourth successive season on Sunday.

ZPC Kariba assistant coach Godfrey Tamirepi has admitted they were the masters of their own downfall saying they got their tactics wrong in their defeat to Caps United which handed Dynamos the championship for the fourth successive season on Sunday.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Dynamos beat How Mine 2-0 to win the Castle Lager Premiership race by one point, 57 compared to ZPC’s 56.

“It’s our fault,” said a dejected Tamirepi. “We had done everything and the championship was within our reach, but I think our approach at the end was wrong. Our game plan was to attack and win convincingly because we anticipated Dynamos would win by a bigger margin.

“We weren’t playing for a draw because we thought it would not be enough for us to win the championship if Dynamos were to win by a big margin.

We took into consideration that if they could beat Harare City 5-3, they could beat How Mine by an even bigger margin so we had to go all out on attack.

“All week at training we had been telling the guys to go all out on attack. That was the strategy and when we conceded three goals it was too late to change the approach. So we really have no one to blame except ourselves.”

The ZPC Kariba coach, who was one of the coaches that got the team into the Premier Soccer League, said the 3-2 defeat to Caps United was their first defeat at home in two years.

“This team had never lost a home match since last year,” he said.

“This is our first defeat at home and everyone is disappointed with the outcome.”

The Kariba-based outfit went into the match leading Dynamos with two points having amassed 56 points from 29 matches and needed just a draw against the Green Machine to sew up their maiden championship.

However, Caps United, who had nothing to play for except a third place finish, were the kingmakers again, as they threw a spanner in the works to deny them the title following a surprise 3-2 victory at Gwanzura.

Last term they did it against Harare City, holding them to a 2-2 draw to deny them the championship on the last day of the league with Dynamos emerging the major beneficiaries as they went on to be crowned champions for the third successive season.

Caps United skipper Tapiwa Khumbuyani thrust his side into the lead on 10 minutes before Honey Chimutimunzeve added the second on 14 minutes with Ishmael Thindwa sealing victory at the stroke of the first half.

Veteran striker Limited Chikafa and Moses Makanje scored a goal each for ZPC Kariba, but it wasn’t enough as they needed at least a draw to be crowned champions of Zimbabwean football.

But their offensive approach proved to be their biggest undoing. When they poured forward in numbers searching for goals, they opened acres of space at the back and their opponents were just too happy to get into those gaps.

That they allowed three goals in the first half and that there were three goals in a space of five minutes provides a graphic illustration of their defensive frailties.

ZPC Kariba playing in the top-flight for the first time, appeared to be overwhelmed on a grand occasion.

Even soccer star of the year favourite Dennis Dauda wasn’t convincing as he struggled to cope when it mattered most, allowing their opponents too much space to manoeuvre.

Chaminuka, in his post-match interview, summed it all up thus: “We defended badly. First goal — defenders went to sleep and someone heads the ball in. Our defenders were supposed to attack, but they gave them too much space. I don’t think they were complacent, but it is the weight of expectation that was on them. We were under pressure more than them.

“Caps were the more comfortable team. They don’t play like this, I think you agree with me. They had nothing to play for and were very comfortable. Of all the games we have played this season, none of them had pressure of this magnitude. But I am proud of my players’ performance.

He added: “I can’t ask for more and anyone who asks more from me I don’t know. Imagine playing 30 games away. We were always travelling and if we were playing at our own stadium we could have won this championship with five games to spare. We have learnt a lot and next season we are going to relaunch the championship bid.”