Caps outclass Bosso

Sport
Caps United put up a class act to demolish an out-of-sorts Highlanders in a friendly match played at Barbourfields Stadium as the Bulawayo giants supporters called for team manager Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo to step down. They accused him of interfering with the team.

Highlanders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Caps United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 2 Caps United put up a class act to demolish an out-of-sorts Highlanders in a friendly match played at Barbourfields Stadium as the Bulawayo giants supporters called for team manager Willard Mashinkila-Khumalo to step down. They accused him of interfering with the team. Fortune Mbele Sports Reporter

A handful of Highlanders fans from the infamous Soweto stand besieged the vehicle entrance that leads to the dressing rooms calling for the head of Mashinkila-Khumalo, but the unruly fans were quickly controlled by police details manning the stadium.

Some fans had started chanting slogans against the Bosso welfare manager just after the final whistle, but head coach Kelvin Kaindu said he would not comment on the supporters’ behaviour. He said he was in good books with Mashinkila-Khumalo.

But far from that mayhem, Caps United gave Bosso a headache in the field of play with goals coming from Terrence Gonzo, three minutes before the break with a thunderbolt that beat goalkeeper Ashford Katsande all systems out before another curler in the 78th minute by Benson Maglasi.

It was head coach Taurai Mangwiro’s project of young players that included Tinovimba Muskwe and Takudzwa Mahori that was a marvel to watch and Caps United have indeed what looks like a bright future with that contingent of young players that they paraded yesterday.

Muskwe and Mahori were part of the Harare Metropolitan Province Youth Games team that lost 3-0 to Mashonaland West in a penalty shoot-out in the final on Saturday.

“We have a number of these youngsters that we have been working with. They are growing a lot of confidence and I hope they keep that momentum. “Fixturing will be tight for the remaining games with a number of mid-week games so we have to have a large pool of players,” Mangwiro, who would not comment his championship aspirations save to say the Green Machine was on the right track, said.

Kaindu rued the number of chances that Highlanders missed giving the thumbs up to Gabriel Nyoni who had three spectacular chances, but could not get a goal. Nyoni had to be stretchered out in the 75th minute after he was hacked down by Caps United defender Steven Makatuka.

“It is unfortunate. We create so many chances, but we still have a lot of problems with finishing,” Kaindu said. He called for the Highlanders supporters to be patient with his new signings Master Masitara and Tinashe Chipunza who played 53 minutes each in yesterday’s match.

“We need to be patient with the new players. We did not have a playmaker today. It is not going to be easy. The flair is not there, but once we get our confidence back we will try to get there,” Kaindu said.

Bosso lost to a fringe Caps United outfit that had regulars Arnold Chivheya, David Rediyoni, Leonard Fiyado and Blessing Zabula in the starting line-up.

The young Muskwe came in for Rediyoni in the 56th minute and Caps United were all over Highlanders in the second half. Teams Highlanders: A Katsande, L Nkomo, E Mudzingwa, D Ndlovu, I Mapuranga (B Tshuma 56th minute), D Sibanda, K Mutizwa (L Nyoni 66th minute), H Madzivanyika (H Masuku 53rd minute), G Nyoni (O Zibande 79th minute), T Chipunza (B Ncube 53rd minute), M Masitara (B Chikaka 53rd minute) Caps United: J Muchambo, S Makatuka (T Kumbuyani 89th minute), M Chinembeza, H Muchiso (T Nyamandwe 85th minute), A Chivheya, B Mapfumo (T Samanje 71st minute), T Gonzo (B Maglasi 71st minute), T Mahori (C Mverechena 77th minute), D Rediyoni (T Muskwe 56th minute), L Fiyado (T Nyamandwe 85th minute), B Zabula (T Munyanduri 81st minute)  Twitter feedback @fmbele