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Sports Reporter
RONALD Chitiyo should be ruing his foolish action when CAPS United go into battle against TP Mazembe in the decisive match of the group stage qualifiers at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The match is delicately balanced at 1-1 after the Green Machine managed to hold the five-time African champions in their backyard in the first leg on Sunday. CAPS United needed all their players available for this big tie to brighten their chances of success.

However, Chitiyo, who has been the driving force behind Makepekepe’s campaign, will be sadly missed as the Harare giants seek to defend their territory. His doom was sealed when he was shown a yellow card in Lubumbashi last week for obstruction on TP Mazembe’s Asante Solomon.

According to the CAF Champions League rules and regulations, if a player accumulates two yellow cards he misses the next. This was Chitiyo’s second card in three matches.

The diminutive midfielder was needlessly cautioned for removing his shirt while celebrating the winning goal in the preliminary round against Lioli at the National Sports Stadium last month.

But while last week’s booking at TP Mazembe could be understandable, given he took one for the team, for a senior player like him, who is familiar with the rules of the game, the first yellow card was a display of stupidity.

And CAPS could pay a huge price on Sunday. Chitiyo created and scored against Lioli while he also created the goal for Abbas Amidu in Lubumbashi. Yesterday, CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe was not in the mood to speak about Chitiyo.

“That’s a distraction. For now I don’t want to talk of Rooney who is not participating or contributing anything. For now the focus is on the team because it’s all about the team,” said Chitembwe.

TP Mazembe, who will arrive this afternoon with a 100-man contingent, have warned they will hunt for early goals in Harare.