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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
EDMORE Sibanda is not sure about anything and everything.
He is facing the most fragile 90 minutes in his four-year old professional career as a goalkeeper. It’s a gigantic task just like his frame.
A task that would potentially make or break him. He is making his home debut for CAPS United, exactly 10 days after his switch from Chapungu.
Of course, he has already tasted how it feels to play for the Green Machine.
He has made his bow when guarding the posts in a league tie against Lancashire Steel at Baghdad days before this hot September afternoon at Rufaro in 2008.
Their only hope is winning the BancABC Super 8 title. Their semi-final opponents this afternoon are Dynamos.
The Glamour Boys are doing well in the league. They are fresh from winning a double the previous season.
They are still playing in the CAF Champions League having won the Premier Soccer League title in 2007. They are tails up after bulldozing their way into this elite inter-club continental competition. And they are the odds-on favourites to win this one.
But derbies are never predictable. Rufaro is lit. Dynamos ask the first questions.
Makepekepe are defensive. Deep.
They are bound to make mistakes.
Moments into the match, they concede a penalty. Dynamos have several good takers.
Lovemore Mapuya, Brighton Tuwaya, David Shoko, Reuben Mhlanga, Justice Majabvi and many more.
But it’s the vastly improved Edward Sadomba who is handed the responsibility.
He rarely misses. Dynamos supporters are already celebrating.
It’s Sadomba’s penalty that broke a five-year derby jinx the previous season.
And he confidently steps up as he looks to pierce the Makepekepe hearts again.
He goes low, targeting the bottom left corner. Sibanda springs down, sticks his right hand and smoothers the venomous effort.
Bang. It’s a save. CAPS United fans erupt into song. “ZiKeeper redu vakomana, ZiKeeper redu. Bvunzai Sadomba vakomana, ZiKeeper redu…” The Green Machine get into the groove.
Inspired.
It gets exciting. Both teams show the hunger. They want to play the game.
Makepekepe midfielder Tafadzwa Rusike is brilliant. He dwarfs everyone with his sleek passing. Towards the end of the first half, he conjures up magic. He volleys a howitzer. It beats Willard Manyatera in goals for Dynamos.
Hands down.
The wonder goal separates the two Harare giants. Sibanda earns his nickname “ZiKeeper”. Makepekepe go all the way.
“I believe I announced my arrival at the big stage in that match against Dynamos at Rufaro,” said Sibanda.
“I made my professional debut with Blue Swallows in 2004 under coach Innocent Chogugudza (now GreenFuel Goalkeepers coach) who is one of the guys who made me who I am today. “But it is my first match for CAPS United against Dynamos at Rufaro that I believe gave me the name I have in this game.
“I was approached by Farai Jere (CAPS United president) when I was playing for Chapungu after our match against CAPS United.
“I accepted to join the Green Machine and that was a dream move for me”.
Yet Sibanda had to stand firm to convince his parents to support his football passion.
“Being someone who was decent academically, I had to really stand my ground for my parents to accept that I also wanted to play football.
“I started as a kid and the passion grew untilI became a goalkeeper of note”.
With his growing reputation as a good goalkeeper, Sibanda was silently nurturing another unique technique that would manifest itself in 2010, thanks mainly to the legendary Moses “Bambo” Chunga.
Sibanda became the first goalkeeper in the modern Premier Soccer League era to score seven goals in a season notching all those goals from freekicks. He was also voted the Goalkeeper of the Year that same year. “I credit Moses Chunga for that. He is the one who convinced me to start taking set pieces.
“He told me that if I develop the right technique, I would become a prolific taker. He helped me develop the technique and I am forever grateful to him.”
Sibanda would also help CAPS United win the 2016 league title and he was key in the Green Machine’s fairytale run in the CAF Champions League in 2017 when the club reached the group stages of the premium continental tournament after eliminating perennial campaigners TP Mazembe in the first round.
But, for the burly goalkeeper who says he still wants to play on once he recovers from injury, being rated amongst the best four ‘keepers for the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Egypt stands out as his finest moment.
“I played only one game in the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
“I would spend the rest of the campaign on the sidelines due to injury.
“But being ranked amongst the top four goalkeepers for the tournament, well, I think that was the highlight in my career.”
The soft-spoken goalkeeper was injured at his South African side TTM and he hopes to play on once he recovers.
Online Reporter