As CAPS United advance to Group Stages
CAPS United 0-0 TP Mazembe
Aggregate: 1-1
At the huge 60 000 seater National Sports Stadium and what the Zimbabwean football fraternity calls Gomba(ditch), this will go in the history books as the biggest affair Caps United FC ever faced in the continental football.
Known in Zimbabwe as Cup Kings The Green Machine as Caps United are affectionately called just relived that title. Causing one of the biggest upset in recent times by eliminating giants TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo out the CAF Champions League competition.
The gruesome away goal rule was just what the doctor had ordered to immobilise the former World Club Champions finalist from progression in the lucrative championship.
Caps United who shocked TP Mazembe by scoring in the first minute of the first leg in Lubumbashi through Amidu with a quick break will be playing in Groups stage
It took the geniusness of the charismatic Zambian midfielder in Rainford Kalaba to equalise for TP Mazembe in the 7th minute.
The Zimbabwean champions would then fight and hold forth like their lives depended on it and attain a precious draw and an away goal away in the DRC’s second largest city.
Ofcourse Caps United needed the alertness goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda, who made wonderful saves to keep the score at 1all.
Second leg in Harare came with similar fashion and saw both teams wasting chances without precision in both halfs.
TP Mazembe was rather the more threatening like in first leg but CAPS United just like in Lubumbashi remained resilient and made sure they protected their away goal.
The game ended 0-0 and CAPS United are through to the group stage with TP Mazembe relegated to the less prestigious CAF Confederation Cup second year running where they are the defending champions.
Its a big achievement for CAPS United who once again brightens Zimbabwean football which has been going down in recent years.
This match was not short of predrama before kick off with reports from Zimbabwe saying Caps United coach Llyod Chitembwe was slapped by the Cingolease officials. It took the alertness of Zimbabwean police officials to bring control to the chaos.
Caps on the other hand arrived into the stadium in style by two helicopters.
