CAPS United plunge deeper into crisis as Triangle United and MWOS steal weekend headlines

TAWANDA CHARI

A gloomy shadow continues to hover over the Green Machine. CAPS United slumped to their fourth consecutive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League defeat on Sunday, falling 1-0 to newly promoted Bikita Minerals at Rufaro Stadium. The loss, which sparked yet another post-match protest from disgruntled Makepekepe faithful, leaves the former giants languishing in 17th place—tied on four points with cellar-dwellers Triangle United but slightly better off on goal difference.

Assistant coach Tonderai Marume attributed the latest setback to poor finishing, pointing out a recurring issue that's plagued the Harare giants all season.

“If you look at our performance, we are trying to dominate opponents, and it’s showing. What’s lacking is the end product,” said Marume post-match. “That’s the difference so far. We have played several matches and failed to score.”

Bikita Minerals, efficient and resolute, capitalized on one of their few chances and secured all three points, deepening CAPS’ woes in what is turning into a nightmare start to the 2025 campaign.

“The performance was good, but the result isn’t. The result doesn’t truly reflect the performance, but that’s football—it can be cruel,” added Marume.

That cruelty was laid bare once again as irate CAPS fans waited at the stadium gate to confront coach Lloyd Chitembwe after the final whistle, a repeat of the scenes that followed their previous home defeat. With just four points from seven games, pressure is mounting on the technical bench, and questions loom large over the club's direction.

Traingle Register First Win

Meanwhile, in Chiredzi, there was a glimmer of hope for Triangle United, who claimed their first victory of the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Yadah at Gibbo Stadium. Under new coach Genesis ‘Kaka’ Mangombe, the Sugar Boys finally ended a winless run that had cost Luke ‘Vahombe’ Masomere his job. Mangombe's impact was instant, as he steered his new side to a vital win that may just spark a revival.

Despite the win, Triangle remain bottom of the log, but now sit level on points with CAPS United—both teams tied on four apiece, separated only by goal difference.

Elsewhere, Washington Navaya continued his fine scoring form, grabbing a brace in Manica Diamonds’ 2-2 draw with TelOne at Sakubva. Navaya’s brace took his season tally to seven, further cementing his status as one of the most lethal strikers in the league so far.

But perhaps the most stunning result of the round came from Ngoni Stadium, where premiership newcomers MWOS delivered a statement of intent with a 1-0 win over Dynamos. Claude Mapoka scored the decisive goal in the 52nd minute, handing the Glamour Boys their third defeat of the season—and propelling MWOS to the summit of the PSL table.

“We are very happy that history will say we opened our stadium with a win—a win against one of the biggest teams in the country,” said an elated Lloyd Mutasa, MWOS’ head coach.