BATTERED AND BRUISED

cAPSEddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS Utd ……………….. (0) 2
Al Ahli Tripoli……………(3) 4

CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe was left to reflect on a horror 25-minute implosion by the injury-hit Green Machine yesterday which inflicted serious damage on their hopes of making the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League this year.

Makepekepe, who were handed a chance to go top of Group B —at least for some hours — melted under pressure and were down 0-3 by the 25th minute. Ahli Tripoli skipper Samea Derbali led the destruction with a brace, with the other goals coming from midfielder Salem Ablo and enterprising forward Muaid Salam.

Ronald Pfumbidzai and skipper Hardlife Zvirekwi reduced the arrears in the last five minutes of the game with a goal apiece. “There’s no reason for us to look for excuses; we are very proud of our achievements. No one can take that from us, but the honest truth is when you lose some of your best players in games of this magnitude, you risk losing a lot of cohesion and I’m sure we lost cohesion,’’ said Chitembwe.

“The first 20 minutes I’m sure we lost it and conceded, in my view, goals that we could have avoided and once you concede the way we conceded at this level, it will be very difficult to come back.

“It had nothing to do with complacency because we are talking of a team that really knows what they want; the performance that these guys have shown, their desire and their commitment in football matches. “At this level you don’t really expect these guys to be complacent. I don’t think that’s correct. For me it’s down to the way that you prepare. Half these players played at 50 percent.

“Those who were following events will attest to this. Hardlife was not training, Edmore (Sibanda) even failed to make it at warm-up. You talk of Tafadzwa (Rusike), he had to be injected for him to play.

“He never trained a single day and once you have that in your team it’s bound to affect your cohesion.’’ CAPS United had to make a last-minute replacement, bringing on Jorum Muchambo into goal after Sibanda, who is battling an ankle injury, failed to make it.

Vice-captain Dennis Dauda was also ruled out of the game and his absence was felt in a big way. Chitembwe’s gamble to use Zvirekwi as a makeshift centreback was probably, on reflection, a poor one and backfired horribly.

Jangano conceded a penalty in the 16th minute when he brought down Anis Mohamed inside the box and Ahli skipper Derbali made no mistake from the spot.

A defensive lapse inside the box four minutes later gifted midfielder Ablo enough room to control a square ball from Mohamed to beat Muchambo. Diminutive forward Salam then added a third in the 25th minute. Pfumbidzai was denied by the crossbar when he got his head to a high ball from Phineas Bamusi with 20 minutes of regulation time remaining.

But Derbali forced a moment of silence in the giant stadium when he returned to complete his brace on the 81st minute after cutting inside from the wide right and fire a low shot that gave Muchambo no chance. Makepekepe got a lifeline from the spot, which Pfumbidzai converted with ease on the 86th minute before Zvirekwi headed home the second on the stroke of full-time time.

Tripoli coach Talaat Mohamed praised his charges for their first win. “I think it was a very tough match. We prepared ourselves well before we came. We watched their last game against the other team and I think that everything was clear for us about CAPS United and everything about us was also very clear to CAPS United.

“Our tactic was hinged on being more responsible in defence and in midfield and then get them on the counter attack. I think we were very successful in most of the cases and we missed between two and three easy chances. “But we have to say that CAPS United are a good team and our match against them next will not be easy. It will be tougher than today.

“You know with football there is no guarantee, but if we are going to win the next game against CAPS United in Tunis, I think we will have a very big chance to qualify to the next round. “You have to know that our players played this game today fasting. So it’s very difficult to play under this kind of pressure. So I have to thank all of them,” said Mohamed.

The Libyans have their financial challenges and travelled for more than 600 km by road to catch a flight in Cairo, Egypt, which took them to Ethiopia and then to Harare.

Teams

CAPS Utd: J. Muchambo, K. Nyamupfukudza (C. Munzabwa, 46th min), R. Pfumbidzai, H. Zvirekwi, J. Jangano, D. Chafa, M. Muchenje, R. Chitiyo, T. Rusike (D. Chungwa, 60th min), A. Amidu, P. Bamusi

Al Ahli Tripoli: M. Fathi, A. Salim, S. Derbali, M. Aleyat, M. Aboud, V. Mabide, A. Khalleeffah, M. Ghanudi, M. Salam (Z. Allafi, 85th min), S. Ablo (E. Mohamed, 67th min), A. Mohamad

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