The day it all started

probably expected given that 34 years have now passed since that landmark game at Rufaro.
Back in those days, the Green Machine was known as CAPS Rovers and, having won their top-flight league status at the end of 1976, they made their bow among the elite football clubs in this country the following year.
The irony of it all is that in the year that CAPS Rovers came of age, and won their ticket into the top-flight league, Dynamos consolidated their status as this country’s finest club by virtually sweeping everything on offer in a Golden ’76 show.
A vintage Class of Glamour Boys, widely regarded as the greatest team to be assembled at DeMbare, won the league championship in 1976, and won five of the six knockout tournaments on offer.
Playing attacking football that was some light years ahead of the times, Dynamos thrashed Zimbabwe Saints 8-1 in the final of the Castle Cup and hammered Chibuku 8-0 in the final of the Nyore Nyore Shield with the late Daniel “Dhidhidhi” Ncube scoring five times.
The Glamour Boys also overturned a 3-5 first leg loss to Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg to win 4-1 at Rufaro, on a memorable rainswept afternoon, to be crowned Southern Africa football champions.
In 19 matches in knockout tournaments, that unstoppable Dynamos machine scored 67 goals that season, to add to the 50 league goals for a remarkable haul of 117 goals in one year.
DeMbare only failed in the Chibuku Trophy, when they lost to Saints in the semi-finals, but that crew of Glamour Boys had already done enough to be remembered as The Immortals.
The arrival of a buoyant CAPS United on the scene, having won the ticket into the top-flight at the end of 1976, appeared lost in the mayhem of the delirium that followed DeMbare’s remarkable show that same year.
Understandably it was all about Dynamos, when the first Harare Derby was played, but little did the fans who witnessed that match know that they were seeing the beginning of a rivalry that would stand the test of time and hold a city spellbound forever.
A young Charles Mabika, growing up in Mbare then, was one of those lucky fans in the sellout crowd at Rufaro that day.
Thirty four years have passed and, as Mabika – who would later turn himself into the country’s premier football commentator – prepares for the 67th edition of the Harare Derby at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday, he still carries memories of the day when he saw the first game.
“Rufaro was filled to capacity that day and although CAPS Rovers were not as popular as they are today, they had a sizeable backing and you also had a lot of Black Aces fans throwing their support behind the newboys,” said Mabika.
“Aces were Dynamos’ bogey team then but they had started to go down and CAPS Rovers were on the up so a lot of Aces fans, who really enjoyed seeing Dynamos suffer, appeared to be shifting into the CAPS corner.
“The first game was a good one and Dynamos won 3-1 and what I remember most from it was the incredible performance of George Shaya, who drove his team to victory and scored a wonder goal that afternoon.
“It’s the forerunner of the one that Peter Ndlovu scored for the Warriors against South Africa when he went on that double shuffle and it was a very beautiful goal that the Mastermind scored that day.”
Given DeMbare’s status, as the ruthless force that was sweeping everything before them, CAPS Rovers warmed the hearts of many neutrals with their battling performance that day and won a lot of new fans.
The stage, as they say, had been set for a rivalry that would spice the top-flight league in years to come.
Shacky Tauro was then emerging as a dangerous forward and, working in tandem with Peter Agostinho, they were already doing enough to convince thousands of fans to bank on them and support their team.
They defied all expectations to book a place in the 1977 Castle Cup final and, although they lost 0-1 to Saints when William Sibanda headed home a lovely cross from Steve Kwashi, it was clear the Green Machine had arrived.
Revenge for Makepekepe was swift as they captured the Chibuku Trophy, with victory over Saints in the final that year, winning the replay 5-3 in Bulawayo, with Tauro hammering home a hattrick, after the first match had ended 3-3 in Harare.
“It was a competitive CAPS Rovers side, even though they were playing their first season in the top-flight league, and you could tell that Shacky was special,” said Mabika.
“They also had some very good players, Cainos Chidungwe, Oliver Chidemo, goalkeeper Steven Chisango, Solomon Kaseke, James Chobodo, Salad Twaliki and John Muzveruki.
“It was clear then that a new force had arrived on the local football scene and, if they could so all that in their first year, what then about their second year, and this created interest and won them a lot of fans.
“Of course, the arrival in later years of the likes of Joel “Jubilee” Shambo, Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa and Stanley Ndunduma, and the brilliance of these magicians, helped to bring more fans into the CAPS corner.
“They won the league championship in 1979, just in their third year in the top-flight league, and that success was also crucial in winning them supporters.”
Now known as CAPS United, the Green Machine won the North Zone league in 1979, thrashing Umtali 6-1 at Rudhaka in their final zonal league match of the season with the unstoppable Tauro slamming home a hattrick.
Saints won the South Zone league and the two teams met in the two-legged final to determine the Zimbabwe champions.
The Super Saints won the first leg in Bulawayo 2-1 and appeared set for success when they led 1-0 at the break, and 3-1 on aggregate, in the second leg at Rufaro after Andrew Kadengu had scored for Chikwata.
It appeared gloomy for CAPS United when Chidungwe missed a penalty awarded by referee Jimmy Williams early in the second half but super striker Tauro gave them hope by turning home the equaliser for the day moments later.
Then, for the second time that afternoon, Williams awarded CAPS United a penalty and, this time, Charles “Raw Meat” Sibanda converted to tie the aggregate score.
Chidungwe then atoned for his penalty miss with the third goal, to give CAPS United a 3-1 win and a 4-3 aggregate victory in the championship decider, in a match that will also be remembered for Gibson Homela’s attack on Williams after a disputed call.
CAPS United had sealed their arrival on the big stage and fans in the capital, who didn’t like Dynamos, had a team to support and heroes to love.