By Sheldon Hakata
THE European and most African leagues are in mid-season, while Zimbabwean soccer is in its closed season. During this transfer window, the spotlight has been on the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Sala, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold; Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho; and, to some extent, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker. But despite the lull in football activity, several local clubs, including the traditional Big Three —Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United —2023 Champions Ngezi Platinum and 2024 Champions Simba Bhora, have been busy buying and selling key players to bolster their squads for the upcoming season. PSL newcomers Scottland Football Club have taken the transfer market by storm. They have scripted a matchless tale of their own after pouncing on close to 21 signings for 2025 season.
Reigning Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona, and his runners-up Lynoth Chikuhwa, and Khama Billiat have all been nailed down by the ambitious Mabvuku-based outfi t. In their second season in top-fl ight league, coach Tonderai ‘Stanza’ Ndiraya swopped on a large number of players from other top-fl ight clubs.
He had the last laugh after Simba Bhora’s dream of playing in the Champions League football this season became a reality. However, Simba Bhora’s title surge was made possible by a powerful squad assembled at the beginning of the 2023 season.
The season kicked off with the arrival of the 2022 and 2023 Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona, Malvin Mkolo, Junior Makunike, Perfect Chikwende, Mthokozisi Msebe, Taimon Mvula, Billy Vheremu, Talbert Shumba and Gift Saunyama. Then Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, the late General Solomon ‘Rex Nihongo’ Mujuru founded Black Rhinos Football Club 1982. Black Rhinos won the First Division title in 1983, and promoted to the Super League the following year. ‘Chauya Chipembere’ had to be one of the best ever assembled teams for all times in the history of Zimbabwean football. The army side ruled domestic football with impunity, by the end of the 1984 season were crowned champions of Zimbabwean football.
‘Chipembere’ became a house hold name when they won the league and a cup double twice in 1984 and 1987. A huge achievement it was for Rhinos during those glory days. Their triumph also ended Dynamos four-year dominance, which stretched back to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980. In 1984, Shepherd Murape and assistant Ashton ‘Papa’ Nyazika’s men wrote a fairy tale that remains unmatched in domestic football today, clinching the unprecedented league and cup double in their debut season of the then BAT Super League.
Exactly 41 years later, despite the BAT Super League giving way to the era of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, Black Rhinos remains the only Zimbabwean club to win the top-fl ight championship on debut season. To underline the quality the team had during that period, Rhinos went on to reach the 1985 Africa Cup of Champions Club, only to be eliminated by US Goree of Senegal. They might have won their last league title, 41 years ago but the swagger with which they performed the Houdini act of 1984 still leaves them in a class of their own.
The closest they came was in 1991 and 2002 went they fi nished runners-up to Dynamos and Highlanders. The general belief is that most of the players who fl ocked to Rhinos were attracted by money. Employment was a major pull factor back then with Rhinos off ering permanent jobs in the army So attractive that Rhinos could lure a top-fl ight league 1982 Soccer Star of the Year, Japhet ‘Short Cat’ Muparutsa who dumped Dynamos and the Super League settling for a lower league side, when they were still a Division One side.
In the mid-1980s, ‘Chauya Chipembere’ coach Shepherd Murape’s men went on a massive recruitment drive that saw them lure star players mainly from giants Dynamos, CAPS United in preparation for the 1983 Division One League. There was something special about this formidable army side. After the formation, ‘Chauya Chipembere’ went on a massive recruitment drive that saw them lure top players from topfl ight clubs, in preparation for the 1983 First Division League. Hamid ‘Muzukuru’ Dhana, Simon ‘AK’ Mugabe, David Mukahanana, Eddie Matsika, Lovemore Chikunha and Muparutsa left Dynamos despite havingwon the 1981 and 1982 Super League titles with the GlamourBoys. Stanford ‘Stix’ Mtizwa, Stanley ‘Sinyo’ Ndunduma and William Chikauro also dumped CAPS United in favour of Rhinos. Gift ‘Shaft’ Makoni crossed the Rubicon from Karls United (formerly Arcadia United) to join the likes of Leslie Kamuyoyo, Givemore Madzeka, Fanuel Nyamukapa, Jimmy Mbewe and Ernest Mutano at the army side.
One of the stars who later joined from Black Aces was Maronga ‘The Bomber’ Nyangela after their promotion into the Super League. Such massive raid of stars even drew suspicion on their motives, even catching the attention of parliamentarians, back then after the army side was accused of luring civilian players by off ering them top positions in the army. ‘’I don’t think Rhinos is a soldier’s team,’’ then Minister of Sport Dr Makoni’s was quoted in The Herald of July 7, 1984 as telling the MPs. Zvishavane-based FC Platinum who snatched 2011 Soccer Star of Year Charles Sibanda from Motor Action, and closest pursuer Joel Ngodzo from Highlanders. The Shamva-based and reigning Castle Lager Premier League 2024 champions followed suit last season. FC Platinum and ZPC Kariba are the only two teams that came close to emulating ‘Chauya Chipembere’ in terms of setting fi re to the transfer market.
The ‘Pure Platinum Play’ were almost there, but lost on goal diff erence to Kalisto ‘Manabhundo’ Pasuwa’s Dynamos in 2011. The same ZPC Kariba came so close to clinching the championship in their debut season, losing to Dynamos on the very last day of the 2014 race.