Simba Bhora suffered a major setback in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title race after falling 1-0 to CAPS United on Saturday.
Simba had gone into the match needing a victory to close the four-point gap opened by log leaders Scottland FC, who edged Chicken Inn 1-0 on Friday.
However, Ishmael Wadi’s stunning long-range strike on the half-hour mark handed CAPS United a crucial win and condemned the defending champions to their first home defeat of the season.
The victory lifted CAPS United into 10th place, while Simba’s loss comes just a week after their elimination from the CAF Champions League.
At Rufaro Stadium, chaos marred the clash between Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars.
The match was briefly halted in the first half after Ngezi coach Takesure Chiragwi lost his temper and slapped his own player, Macdonald Makuwe, in a heated exchange.
The incident occurred in the 34th minute, moments after Dynamos equalised through an own goal by Brooklyn Katumba. Chiragwi protested furiously, arguing that there had been a foul in the build-up to the goal.
As tempers flared on the Ngezi bench, Makuwe tried to calm the coach, but Chiragwi lashed out and struck him in frustration. Other technical team members quickly intervened to restrain the coach, who was then sent off by the referee and forced to watch the remainder of the match from the stands.
The game eventually ended 1-1, with Talent Chamboko scoring for Ngezi in the 11th minute. The draw lifted Dynamos out of the relegation zone for the first time in over five months.
Elsewhere, MWOS edged Greenfuel 1-0 courtesy of a second-half strike from Wilson Mensah, while FC Platinum and Yadah played out a goalless draw. Manica Diamonds were also held to a 0-0 stalemate by Triangle United.
In other results, TelOne beat already relegated Kwekwe United 3-1, and ZPC Kariba overcame Bikita Minerals 2-0.
Full Results:
Dynamos 1–1 Ngezi Platinum Stars
Simba Bhora 0–1 CAPS United
MWOS 1–0 Greenfuel
Manica Diamonds 0–0 Triangle United
ZPC Kariba 2–0 Bikita Minerals
FC Platinum 0–0 Yadah
TelOne 3–1 Kwekwe United
