Will it be a case of what goes around comes around for title-chasing giants CAPS United when they square off with Harare City at Rufaro on Saturday?

Harare City have nothing much to play for after missing the top three finish they had aimed for this season while Makepekepe have the title within reach.
But City may not have easily forgotten.

Three years ago, they were on the brink of making history by winning their first ever league championship but the dream was shattered by the Green Machine in the last match of the season at the National Sports Stadium.

The Sunshine Boys were two points clear at the top going into the final match of the season and everything pointed to a historic campaign under Bigboy Mawiwi. In the spirit of anticipation, all was set for the after-party with the venue already secured at Jazz-24.

But then Dominic Chungwa and Tawanda Nyamandwe spoiled everything with a goal each in the 2-2 draw which literally handed the championship to rivals Dynamos who were winning 2-0 in the other match against Black Mambas.

Makepekepe had insisted they were not doing it for anyone but for their own cause in search of a top four finish, which they never got anyway after failing to garner the maximum points in that last match.

But the draw dealt the heaviest damage to City who went on to lose the championship on goal difference.

That will probably stand as one of the darkest chapters in their history. The Sunshine Boys, however, have chosen to put that behind them ahead of the clash against Makepekepe on Saturday.

Harare City coach Moses Chunga told Sportszone they are not dwelling on the past as they are planning for the future. Chunga hinted the Sunshine Boys will be driven by the desire to pursue their won development goals instead of focusing on revenge.

The City Fathers have planned to rest most of their senior players for the last three games of the season and give their junior products the platform to acclimatize with topflight football.  

“Of course I wasn’t there when that happened but this game is not about revenge. It’s a new game and we are going to play to compete. We are playing for the three points on the stake.

“In life, if you keep grudges it harms you more than the other person. It makes you a bitter man in the end and because of that you will not realise your full potential,” said Chunga.

“A lot has been said about this game but we are excited as Harare City because we have a programme that we would want to see coming to fruition.

“The last three games of the season our youngsters will be heavily involved. It will be sort of initiating them from boyhood to manhood. 

“The coincidence is that we happen to play CAPS United at the most crucial part of their championship race. We have our own agenda.

“We have a development programme that we have been running at Harare City with myself as head of the technical team and Elvis Chiweshe as director of development.

“We have been working very well with my colleagues from the juniors up to the first team. There are proper and well defined structures and right now we have around 50 players coming from development. I think you have already seen some of them in action.

“It’s a massive programme which has produced quality. I am sure many teams will benefit from that as well because we will need to loan out some of the players next season.”

Chunga, who was given a contract last week, said he had a vision to build a team for the future for Harare City by making use of the development programme.

Already he has given generous game time to youngsters such as Learnmore Muyambo, Tatenda Tumba, Sean Muneka, Jerry Chipangura and has even appointed 20-year old defender Hastings Chapusha the new captain.  The youngsters will be blended with some few experienced players to guarantee results so that they finish on a respectable position.

Harare City are currently seventh on the log standings with 38 points. Makepekepe on the other hand are targeting their first championship in 11 years. They lead the log standings with 54 points, one ahead of Highlanders who host Tsholotsho at Barbourfields tomorrow.

The third team in the race FC Platinum travel to Chapungu hoping to close the two point gap between them and CAPS United.
 
Fixtures
Saturday:
Harare City v CAPS United (Rufaro), Ngezi Platinum v Hwange (Baobab), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot), Highlanders v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields)

Sunday:
Border Strikers v Triangle (Dulivhadzimu), Dynamos v Mutare City (Rufaro), How Mine v Chicken Inn (Luveve), Bulawayo City v ZPC Kariba (Barbourfields)