CAPS United meet giant killers: Makepekepe aim to halt trophy drought
CAPS United against FC Hunters at Rufaro this afternoon is history against hunger. Cup Kings against giant killers. And it could not be better timed.
Takesure Chiragwi takes his revered CAPS United to Rufaro today knowing this is the competition that can end 17 years of cup pain.
Makepekepe remain the Cup Kings from yesteryear, but the last time they won a knockout cup in Zimbabwe was the 2008 Castle ZIFA Cup.
MAKEPEKEPE DESPERATE TO END CUP DROUGHT
Their last major piece of silverware was the 2016 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League championship under Lloyd Chitembwe, with the 2017 Charity Shield the only other trophy since.
For a club that lives for cups, that barren run has weighed heavy, and the inaugural multi-million-dollar ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup feels like the year they could finally break it.
Their path in this competition so far has been emphatic. They have won both, thrashing Scottland Academy 6-0 in the Round of 32 and then shutting out Manica Diamonds in the Round of 16.
That cup ruthlessness has spilled into all competitions. Makepekepe are unbeaten in five across league and cup. They have three wins and two draws, including a hard-fought away win over log leaders MWOS FC.
That run also saw them survive a Chibuku Super Cup shootout against ZPC Kariba and a league stalemate against bitter rivals Dynamos in the Harare Derby.
There was also a clean sheet against Bulawayo Chiefs and a five-goal thriller against Simba Bhora. Chiragwi has made them hard to beat and clinical when it matters.
FC HUNTERS HAVE MASTERED GIANT KILLING ART
FC Hunters players ahead of a match. Picture by Fanzone
The immediate stumbling block, however, is Nesbert Saruchera’s FC Hunters. They have proven they are the most resilient giant killers in cup games this season.
That heroic penalty shootout triumph over Harare giants Dynamos in the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final should be fresh in their minds as they tackle the Green Machine.
At Rufaro, Hunters held Dynamos and then dumped them on penalties to reach the last four. Earlier in the same cup, they knocked out Herentals.
Rufaro Stadium has proved to be their favourite hunting ground as they already have CAPS United’s scalp this season, beating the Green Machine by a solitary goal in the league.
Their last 10 across league and cup underline that stubbornness. It is a classic hunters’ trail laced with four league wins, including scalps over Manica Diamonds, Triangle United and CAPS themselves.
Two famous cup wins over Herentals and Dynamos. Two hard-earned draws against Ngezi Platinum and ZPC Kariba. And just three narrow defeats by a single goal to Hardrock, Herentals and Chicken Inn.
In short, they don’t get thrashed, they stay in games and bite late. So this afternoon at Rufaro is more than a quarter-final. It is a test of identity for CAPS United and a test of belief for FC Hunters.
If the Cup Kings want to remind Zimbabwe that they are still the kings of knockout football and finally end a wait that stretches back to 2008, they must get past the one team that has made giant-killing an art form this year.
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