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Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
A BULAWAYO soccer legend has welcomed the return of the Chibuku brand to the local elite league after almost 26 years of absence. On Wednesday the Chibuku Super Cup was launched in Harare with sponsorship worth $500,000. All 16 Premiership sides will take part in an event which evokes memories of yesteryear for Bulawayo as it was through the Chibuku Trophy that both Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints rose to national acclaim in the 1970s.
In an interview Douglas Mloyi, a former defence stalwart with Highlanders, welcomed the development. He said it is one tournament with a deep history in the city and would go a long way in reviving great rivalries of teams in the Premiership.
“It is a welcome development for the game. There is so much history about Chibuku in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe as a whole.
“It is a cup with a difference, when I talk about it, I talk about the emergence of Highlanders as a powerful force in local football.
“The rivalries of that time made stars and excited many soccer fans,” said Mloyi.
The Highlanders legend was a reserve team player when Bosso lifted their first major silverware, the 1973 Chibuku Trophy.
“We are talking about history here, a legacy that has lived on,” he said.
Highlanders were then just an ordinary team that had the previous year returned from lower division.
A raid on the market saw Silas Ndlovu net several good players who included Tymon Mabaleka from Eastlands. With the likes of Ma baleka, Ananias Dube, Billy Sibanda, Cavin Duberly, Boet van Ays, Edward Dzowa, Andrew Jele, Tommy Masuku, Lawrence Phiri, Josiah Nxumalo, Geoffrey Mpofu, and Barry Daka. Highlanders beat Mangula 3-0.
“I travelled to watch that historic match. I was a reserve team player then. It was a great victory for Highlanders and I still remember the match. From that day we became a powerful force to reckon with,” said Mloyi.
He missed on his first Chibuku win in 1976. The cup final pitting Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints was played at Rufaro Stadium.
Gibson Homela who had returned from England in that week was the star of the show for Chikwata with a double as his team ran 4-0 winners.
His first Chibuku Trophy win was in 1980, a Mark Watson and late Majuta Mpofu-inspired performance at Rufaro Stadium. Highlanders drubbed a Rio Tinto side with the likes of David Chisambe and Robert Godoka 4-0.
He was to make it two in 1984, a 2-1 win over Dynamos with goals coming from legends Madinda “Khathazile” Ndlovu and Willard Khumalo.
His third was in 1986.
Bosso were beaten by Zimbabwe Saints in the 1988 cup final played at Barbourfields Stadium with Jimmy Phiri on target.
“So with five titles in Bulawayo it is still an important tournament in our soccer history,” he said.
The coming on board of the tournament is a seal of approval on the Twine Phiri-led administration which has Kennedy Ndebele as head of secretariat.
Online Reporter