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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
CAPS United coach Taurai Mangwiro will tomorrow face one of his mentors, during the early days of his coaching career, hoping to emerge victorious when the Harare giants welcome Luke “Vahombe” Masomere’s Buffaloes at Gwanzura.
Mangwiro has always found the going tough whenever he faces a team coached by Masomere and last season the Green Machine struggled against Shabanie, then under Masomere.

The two coaches found themselves on the sidelines, at the beginning of last year, as they served a ban imposed on them by zifa for the part they allegedly played in the Asiagate scandal.

But they are back on the frontline while Norman Mapeza, who had only been suspended for six months, somehow remains sidelined.

Yesterday, Mangwiro said Masomere was one of the best football coaches in the country.

But Mangwiro believes his team, buoyed by a good start, tranquillity in the boardroom and rising expectations among their fans that they could end their lengthy wait for a league title, will go for the kill tomorrow.

“It is another big game. We would surely want to do well in this match and having won last weekend, it is important to maintain the winning momentum as players tend to get complacent,” said Mangwiro.

“We might have done well against Harare City but now it is a different opponent. Buffaloes came to Lafarge during the pre-season preparations and we played out to a goalless draw.

“They have a shrewd coach in Luke (Masomere) and he is also one of my former mentors.

“Last year he beat us at home and away when he was still with Shabanie. He has always had the better of me and I know it won’t be any easy game but maybe it is also high time that I end that dominance,” said Mangwiro.

CAPS United welcome back the trio of striker Leonard Fiyado and defenders Blessing Zabula and Hardlife Zvirekwi, who missed the 2-1 victory against Harare City through injuries.

However, Tongai Mangwendere and Kelvin Sibanda are still to recover.

Mangwiro said his charges, with a draw against newboys ZPC Kariba and a win in the opening two matches, have done commendably well.

“The boys have given a decent account of themselves but the season is still in its infancy and we wouldn’t want to get carried away,” he said.

CAPS United have been working hard to unite their family, hoping that provides them with the best chance to a successful season, and club president Twine Phiri, has mended his rift with his partner Farai Jere.

Even Masomere said the changes at the club will boost their opponents’ morale ahead of tomorrow’s match.

“I think they have assembled a good team and when we played them in a friendly match, they were good in attack. I understand they have added some foreigners in the team.

I also heard about the return of Farai Jere and I am sure morale would be high among the players,” he said

Masomere, still new into the Buffaloes job, believes he has assembled a decent team which should produce some favourable results as they aim for a top eight finish.

“We are preparing and the team is gelling and coming up. It is a balanced team, it is definitely not the best but can give us (some) good results. We cannot say much about the start of the season as we have only played two games and lost once,” he said.

Some new blood has been injected into the Mutare-based side with the coming in of former Shabanie players Tafadzwa Mombeshora and Eria Phiri, Frankie Bushiri from Gaths Mine, ex-Triangle players Moses Gutu and Simon Choenda.

Familiar faces from last season such as Jacob Muzokomba and Kelvin Tembani are still expected to play a key role in the team.

Last season Buffaloes, then under Saul Chaminuka, beat CAPS United 1-0 in their backyard when coach Mangwiro was still serving the Asiagate ban.

In the reverse tie at Sakubva, CAPS United were able to exact revenge and came out victorious.

It remains to be seen who will dominate at Gwanzura in a match which would be televised live on SuperSport 9 at 3pm.

Elsewhere, pacesetters Hwange host Triangle at the Colliery, hoping to continue with their winning momentum while Chapungu welcome How Mine at Ascot. Army side Black Rhinos would be away to Shabanie at Maglas in a blockbuster Easter holiday games.

Fixtures:
Tomorrow: Hwange v Triangle United (Colliery), Shabanie Mine v Black Rhinos (Maglas), CAPS United v Buffaloes (Gwanzura 3pm SS9), Chapungu  v How Mine (Ascot).
Easter Monday: Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve), Chiredzi v Highlanders (Chishamiso ), Bantu Rovers v Dynamos (Barbourfields), ZPC Kariba  v Harare City (Gwanzura 3pm SS9).