Manica Diamonds gemstone shines as CAPS United flo...

Manica Diamonds gemstone shines as CAPS United flounder

Philemon Jambaya

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Manica Diamonds continued their sparkling resurgence with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over CAPS United at Sakubva Stadium on Sunday, marking their third consecutive win in the Castle Lager Premiership. The win propels Manica Diamonds up the standings, while CAPS United find themselves sinking closer to the relegation zone.

The hero for Manica Diamonds was halftime substitute Michael Tapera, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by CAPS United’s Ashley Reyners just moments after entering the pitch. The goal, scored with Tapera’s first touch, proved to be the difference.

This victory marks a significant turnaround for Manica Diamonds under coach Jairosi Tapera, who faced criticism after a poor start to the season for a team that finished runners-up last year. Tapera expressed his delight with the win and believes his team is finally hitting its stride.

However, he acknowledged the need for his strikers to be more clinical in finishing their chances.

“We played very well and got the all-important goal,” Tapera said.

“My defenders had a good outing and it is only in our attack where we lacked precision. We could have won by a wider margin.”

CAPS United’s woes deepened with the loss, extending their losing streak to four in seven games. The result pushes them precariously close to the relegation zone, just two points above last-placed Hwange.

CAPS United coach, Lloyd Chitembwe, already facing disciplinary action, opted to skip his post-match media duties. Assistant coach Nelson Marongorere addressed the press, acknowledging the team’s struggles and vowing to make amends.

Manica Diamonds now sit comfortably in sixth place, while CAPS United must find a way to arrest their slide and avoid a potential relegation battle.