The ManicaPost
Moffat Mungazi
Sports Reporter
ANOTHER fixture, another fight against relegation!
This is exactly the situation fading Harare giants, CAPS United and Mutare-based Premiership debutants, Tenax CS find themselves in when they saunter onto the National Sports Stadium pitch on Sunday, a perfect setting for a bruising dogfight against relegation as they trade blows in a league encounter.
What makes this contest intriguing is that there is everything to play for as both sides are battling to duck the dreaded axe and avoid demotion.
They are keeping ignominious company at the foot of the table.
Having been dumped out of the knockout tournament – the Chibuku Super Cup – the pair has shifted their focus to the remainder of the league marathon.
The two teams are hard-pressed to collect maximum points, with eight rounds of games to go before the campaign concludes.
By their lofty standards, MaKepeKepe have largely been underwhelming and never mounted any challenge for the championship.
The Green Machine’s indifferent form has seen them wobble down the log standings as they have amassed just 30 points from 26 games.
This leaves them in an unfamiliar 13th position on the 18-team table.
Going into this match, the 2016 champions have fared slightly better than their opponents over the last five games.
Picking two wins, as many draws and a single loss, they have found the back of the nets in all, but one match.
Chauya Chikara, on the other hand, have not quite managed to get the monkey off their back as the elite league’s newcomers.
Since the season kicked off, the correctional service outfit has managed less points (21) than the number of games they have played (26).
Victory has remained elusive in five attempts as they have lost four and drew once.
Their attack has been blunt and scored only once over that period, while their leaky rearguard has mustered only one shutout.
Compellingly, CAPS United and Tenax’s troubles go beyond the field of play and their miserable runs have been attributed to that.
Turmoil has rocked both camps in the recent past.
MaKepeKepe had to content with player unrests as there was dissent over their unpaid dues which affected training sessions.
There was also upheaval in the Tenax technical department as coach, Shadreck Mugurasave briefly left in a huff in objection to assistant coach, Blessing Madombi’s return into the fold.
Youthful gaffer, Isaac Nengomasha took charge of the team before Mugurasave was reinstated after a quick U-turn.
Besides the three points at stake and a chance to steer clear of the murky waters of relegation, the prisons wardens will be out to complete a double over their rivals after their come-from-behind 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at Sakubva Stadium in April.
Both Mugurasvae and his counterpart, Lloyd Chitembwe, could not be drawn into commenting much in the build-up to the match.
They said they are not reading much into the previous encounter, but are geared for the latest meeting.
The two coaches said they will do their talking on the pitch on Sunday.
