Football
Simba Mushati, Special to ESPN 6y

Giants Dynamos, Highlanders lose; CAPS held

It was a bad weekend for the traditional giants of Zimbabwean football as both Highlanders and Dynamos suffered embarrassing defeats, while CAPS United needed a late equaliser to escape with a point at Shabanie Mine.

Dynamos went into their clash against Harare City looking to sustain a mini-revival which had seen them post two consecutive wins to end a seven-match winless run, only to find themselves 2-0 down inside the first quarter-hour.

Bright Chayambuka scored both goals for Mark Harrison's team, and although Dynamos' teenage midfielder Kudzai Dhemere pulled one back on 21 minutes, City managed to hold on for a second consecutive win.

Another paltry crowd had turned up to spur Dembare on, but many went home disappointed and questioning both Mutasa's team selection and his preference for a 3-5-2 formation, which left the team's defence exposed in the wide areas.

Elsewhere, ZPC Kariba brewed up a shocker in Bulawayo as veteran striker Tawanda Nyamandwe scored in injury time to secure a come-from-behind 2-1 win over high-flying Highlanders.

Third-placed Bosso had not dropped a point at Barbourfields this season going into the encounter against a team that was searching for a first win of the campaign.

But Kariba had fired warning shots in midweek after holding log leaders Ngezi Platinum to a goalless draw, and they never looked overawed even after Ozias Zibande had put Highlanders ahead just before halftime.

Striker Moses Demera levelled matters 15 minutes after the resumption, before Nyamandwe delivered the killer punch late on to leave Bosso licking their wounds.

In Zvishavane, CAPS needed some late heroics of their own to salvage a point and thwart Shabanie Mine's push for a second win of the campaign.

The hosts had taken the lead through Trevor Ajani moments before half-time, but John Zhuwawo thwarted any prospects of a party in Zvishavane with an equaliser on 73 minutes.

CAPS had gone into the encounter on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Chicken Inn on Wednesday, and the draw saw them drop one place down to seventh position with 16 points, 10 behind log leaders Ngezi.

In matches played earlier on Saturday, Ngezi thrashed visiting Yadah FC 5-0 for the biggest win of the season.

Goals from James Ngulube, Martin Mushonga and Terence Dzukamanja put the tie beyond Yadah by the half-time break.

Donald Teguru and Clive Augusto then added more gloss to the scoreline as the unbeaten miners bagged their eighth win in ten matches.

FC Platinum remained a point behind the leaders after coming from a goal down to dismiss Herentals 2-1.

Never Tigere scored in first-half stoppage time to cancel out Juan Mutudza's 28th-minute opener, and substitute Gift Mbweti scored seven minutes from time to wrap up all three points for the visitors.

In another fixture played on Saturday, classy winger George Majika and veteran Obadiah Tarumbwa were on the score-sheet as fourth-placed Chicken Inn beat Bulawayo City 2-1 to bag a second consecutive win.

Nhlanhla Ndlovu scored what proved to be mere consolation for City some 10 minutes from time.

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