CAPS United were left to rue a string of missed chances as they were held to a goalless draw by Bulawayo Chiefs  their Matchday 27 encounter at Luveve Stadium on Saturday.

The result saw Caps United continue maintaining sixth place on the league table with 43 points, while Bulawayo Chiefs remained 12th with 31 points.

For Chiefs, the point was another positive result against the Harare giants after they had already made history in the first round by defeating Caps United 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium.

That victory made Bulawayo Chiefs the first team to defeat Caps United in the 2026 Premier Soccer League season, underlining the significance of Saturday's return fixture.

But for the visitors, the draw felt like two points dropped after they created the better opportunities in the opening half but failed to convert them.

Caps United's afternoon got off to a difficult start when Washington Arubi suffered a knee injury just three minutes into the match, forcing an early substitution before the five-minute mark.

The setback did little to settle the Ninjas, who were forced into another change later in the half when Clive Rupiya was withdrawn through injury, with Anesu Saiti coming on in the 35th minute.

Despite the disruptions, Caps United showed attacking intent, with Wadii emerging as a constant threat down the flank.

Bulawayo Chiefs right-back Rusinga was kept busy as Wadii repeatedly looked to exploit space in the opening stages.

In the 21st minute, Wadii raced onto a well-weighted through ball from Hachiro but could not produce the finishing touch needed to trouble the Chiefs goalkeeper.

The Caps United forward again came close in the 33rd minute when he dribbled past two defenders, only to see his promising move end without a goal.

Chiefs gradually grew into the contest and had their first corner of the match in the 37th minute, but they could not make the set-piece count.

Caps United continued to threaten before the break, with Precious Phiri delivering a cross towards Wadii in the 45th minute, but the forward's header sailed over the bar.

The first half therefore ended goalless, despite Caps United having enough opportunities to take control of the match.

Caps United made changes at the interval, with Shandirwa and Kaonga coming on for Wadii and Chando as the visitors sought to freshen up their attack.

The second half, however, belonged more to defensive organisation than attacking quality.

In the 54th minute, poor communication between Gurende and the Caps United goalkeeper almost presented Chiefs with an opening and resulted in another corner for the hosts.

Caps United responded with a counter-attack after clearing the set-piece. Their striker broke down the right before delivering a cross towards Chando, but the opportunity was not converted as his header missed the target.

Chiefs continued to search for the breakthrough, with Marowa sending in a dangerous cross, only for Kaonga's header to drift wide.

As the match wore on, both sides struggled to find the decisive pass in the final third, with Chiefs becoming increasingly compact at the back and Caps United unable to reproduce the attacking threat they had shown before the break.

The goalless draw ultimately reflected a match in which opportunities existed but finishing proved to be the difference.

Chiefs coach John Nyikadzino was encouraged by his side's resilience, particularly after the changes made at half-time.

"We wanted the win since we were playing at home. Every point counts at this stage of the season," Nyikadzino said after the match.

He praised his players for remaining focused and resilient, adding that Chiefs had improved considerably from their previous outing.

Nyikadzino felt his team had controlled much of the first half and created better opportunities after making adjustments, but admitted that his players still need greater confidence in front of goal.

"We have to work on our confidence levels when we are in the attacking gate," he said.

Caps United coach Takesure Chiragwi, meanwhile, believed his team had done enough in the first half to win the match but were punished by their failure to take their chances.

"Amongst those chances, we had two clean chances. One versus one, Wadii missed and hit the post. The other one was cleared on the line. The other one, one versus one, went over the bar," Chiragwi said.

The Caps United coach admitted that the second half was more difficult as Chiefs tightened their defensive structure and made it harder for the visitors to penetrate.

"At the end of the day, if you miss your chances, it goes like this," Chiragwi said.

He nevertheless took encouragement from the clean sheet and the point, especially considering that Caps United went into the match without several regular players because of suspensions and injuries.

"We didn't concede. We managed to collect that point," he said.

The result leaves Caps United on 43 points after 27 matches, while Bulawayo Chiefs move on to 31 points.