Eddie Chikamhi, Senior Sports Reporter
Dynamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1) 1
CAPS Utd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 2
IT had taken them five years to overcome their bitter city rivals.
And it had appeared they were headed for another year of waiting before they could achieve that feat.
But CAPS United reserved the best for the last 20 minutes to claim the bragging rights in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Harare derby after staging a dramatic comeback victory over old foes Dynamos at Rufaro yesterday.
The Green Machine, who three weeks ago staged a similar heist against fellow giants Highlanders and won 3-2 at the same venue, rekindled the spirit yesterday to claim the bragging rights of the city for the first time in four years.
Dynamos coach Lloyd Chigowe conceded it was a painful defeat after former DeMbare man Jayden Bakari and Rodwell Chinyengetere hit the Glamour Boys where it hurts the most.
The script took a sudden twist as Makepekepe overturned Valentine Kadonzvo's 39th minute lead and leap-frogged their rivals on the log standings.
It was also a victory for Lloyd Chitembwe who managed to outplay his opposite number Chigowe in a battle of wits in the second half.
"It's a very painful defeat, and coming against our bitter rivals it leaves us with a sour taste in the mouth," said Chigowe.
The lanky gaffer believes the second-half substitutes by CAPS United, including the introduction of DeMbare outcasts Bakari and Tendai Matindife unsettled his team.
"When you bring in an old boy to play against his former team, they always prove to be dangerous. You could see that Bakari had a point to prove and he went on to score the decisive goal that brought CAPS United back into the game.
"But overall, I thought we went to sleep when we conceded a free-kick and CAPS United managed to walk away with three points in a tight game," said Chigowe.
Having last lost a match to their rivals in 2019, Makepekepe should have derived full value from the win despite both teams playing for nothing much but bragging rights.
CAPS United moved to sixth position on the log standings with 41 points while DeMbare dropped to ninth on 38 points.
Still, Makepekepe are 19 points behind runaway log leaders Simba Bhora going into the last five games of the season.
Both CAPS United and Dynamos were without influential defenders Godknows Murwira and Emmanuel Jalai, with both players having left earlier yesterday for South Africa for international duties with the Warriors.
It was a strange arrangement by ZIFA to book the local players on an earlier flight to Johannesburg when they could have fulfilled their club duties and then leave Harare this morning and the move naturally drew the ire of CAPS United coach Chitembwe.
But the absence of skipper Murwira opened the doors for former Yadah defender Brian Kadamanja, who acquitted himself well in central defence alongside Hastings Chapusha.
DeMbare looked like the better team in the early exchanges.
Winger Issa Sadiki made some fancy footwork early on and twice come close but not quite on target before running out of steam and getting hauled out midway through the second half.
But Kadonzvo put DeMbare ahead in the 39th minute after getting to the end of a swift attack by the Glamour Boys and finishing with aplomb.
Kadonzvo benefitted from a diagonal pass from Emmanuel Ziocha in the centre circle and raced down the left flank into the box before sliding the ball between the legs of the advancing goalkeeper Ashley Reyners.
DeMbare could have doubled their lead soon after the restart only for goalkeeper Rayners to produce a brilliant save when diving to his right to stop a first-time grounder from Donald Mudadi after a long ball from the centre had split the Green Machine defence through the middle.
But CAPS United did not throw in the towel easily. Makepekepe equalised with 20 minutes remaining on the clock when Bakari ghosted in and had toed the ball behind the goalkeeper following a communication breakdown between Martin Mapisa and his defender Donald Dzvinyai.
The goalkeeper could only watch helplessly as Dzvinyai made a desperate slide which only pushed the ball further into the nets.
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Makepekepe struck again before DeMbare could reorganise themselves, this time from a corner kick that was nodded in by veteran Chinyengetere.
With the goal, the tide suddenly changed, and emotions were running high both on the pitch and on the terraces.
Frustrated DeMbare fans, unable to stomach the impending defeat, started hurling missiles onto the pitch while some just walked out of the stadium with about six minutes of regulation time remaining.
Chitembwe bemoaned the absence of Murwira despite his team staging a gallant fight to claim the bragging rights.
Teams:
Dynamos: Martin Mapisa, Freddy Alick (A. Musiyiwa, 83rd min), Donald Dzvinyai, Frank Makarati, Kelvin Moyo, Shadreck Nyahwa, Valentine Kadonzvo (E. Chikona, 89th min), Tanaka Shandirwa (Paga, 83rd min), Emmanuel Ziocha, Donald Mudadi, Issa Sadiki (T. Magwaza, 76th min)
CAPS Utd: Ashley Reyners, Hastings Chapusha, Eric Manokore, Bruce Kangwa, Brian Kadamanja, Innocent Zambezi, Phineas Bamusi (Matindife, 50th min, Kawondera, 89th min) Junior Bunjira, Emmanuel Joseph Mbollo (J. Bakari, 50th min), Rodwell Chinyengetere, William Manondo
