The Sunday News
THE coming of Independence could not have come at a better time for Charles Sibanda, the former Caps United stalwart than in 1980 when he was at the peak of his career.
He was not the only one in his mid-20s who had blossomed on the field of play and was at the prime of his football career.
A number of players of his generation alongside him were called up to the first Zimbabwe senior national team which took part in the Independence tournament that kicked off with a semi-final between Zimbabwe and neighbours Mozambique.
The other semi-final pitted Malawi and Zambia.
Mozambique and Zambia had housed liberation movements Zanu/Zanla and Zapu/ZPRA during the armed struggle whose ceasefire was announced in December 1979.
Zimbabwe won the tournament 2-1 after downing Zambia in the final and annihilating Mozambique 6-0 in the semis.
Sibanda was 25, then playing for Caps United, a club that had on the eve of Independence announced its arrival on the stage by winning the Chibuku Trophy, the Northern Region title and the national play-off against Zimbabwe Saints.
Having played before as a midfielder, at Caps he had been forced to play in defence at leftback as a young combination of Stanford “Stix” Mtizwa and Joel Shambo could not be tampered with.
“Independence came at the right time for us. We were at the prime of our careers and we welcomed the end of the war and coming of majority rule. It meant so much for us as citizens and secondly as sportspersons, it was the dawn of a new era, a situation where we found ourselves ready to take on the world.
“We were so overwhelmed with joy. Our careers appeared to be put to waste as we could not play international football because of the restrictions on the country. That changed in 1980 as we were welcomed back to the international fold to compete,” said Sibanda.
Sibanda was among four players national coach John Rugg of Rio Tinto had earmarked for the captaincy.
“Being selected to the first national team was a big honour in itself. There I was among a generation of suppressed players who were now chosen to play for their country, the best of the best being given a chance for the country. I pinched myself a number of times as I thought I was dreaming. It made me even work harder on the field as I was no ordinary player but among the cream in my country,” said Sibanda.
He had been chosen alongside Shaky Tauro, Joel Shambo, David Muchineripi, Graham Boyle Ephraim “Moloi” Moyo, Sunday Chidzambwa, Ephert Lungu, Misheck Chidzambwa, Oliver Kateya, Onias Musana, Max Tshuma, Raphael Phiri, Frank Mkanga to be part of the history making senior national team.
Rugg had earmarked Sunday, Moloi, Boyle and Sibanda for the captaincy which eventually went to the former Dynamos skipper.
“He then zeroed down to Chidzambwa and myself which to me was big. It spoke of my leadership qualities and the player I was. Captaining some of the best talents ever was a dream to cherish for any player,” said Sibanda.
He said most of the players in that team were guys whom he had grown up playing with in the youth clubs and junior football.
From left: Tymon Mabaleka (second from left), Stix Mtizwa and Charles Sibanda
“We were one happy group of some of the best players ever paraded by the country. Competition for places was very hard and it demanded that one put extra work to stay in the national team,” said Sibanda.
The political situation where the country found itself suspended from Fifa meant that a very good crop of stars that emerged or was at the peak of its game between 1970 and 1980 could not play official international matches.
In 1969 the country came close to qualifying for the 1970 World Cup when it was beaten in a replayed final qualifier by Australia in Maputo, Mozambique.
The following year Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known then, was suspended from Fifa and the country could only play rebel teams from UK and Springboks from South Africa.
George Shaya, Ernest Kamba, Itai Chieza, Kuda Muchemeyi, David George, Simon Sachiti, Chita Antonio, Wonder Chisetera, Chris Mhlanga, Amos Rendo, Posani Sibanda, Barry Daka, Ebson Muguyo, Gibson Homela, Daniel Chikanda, Josiah Nxumalo, Simon Mudzudzu, Zebron Magorimbo, Musa Muzanenhamo, Douglas Maneto, Gibson Sibanda, William Sibanda and Robert Godoka and Philemon Mutyavaviri could not play international football at the peak of their careers.
Hooray in 1980 floodgates were opened and age group teams and seniors started participating in international competitions.
The Under-23 team was sent to Moscow, Russia to take part in the Olympics and the following year Sibanda found himself lining up against Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier.
He said players from other nations were surprised that Zimbabwe had been quick to assemble a national team.
“Every time we met some of the countries, they would be asking how we had been able to put up a team together to compete. We had very strong teams in the beginning and selection was not easy but merit-based. You had to be too good to be considered and I am proud to have represented my country nine times,” said Sibanda who got his last call-up in 1984.
He paid tribute to Oliver Kateya whom he competed with for the left-back position.
“Just like myself, Kateya had moved from attack to defence. He was a great left-back that I competed against for the national team jersey. He was excellent as a player and sportsman, who gave his best always so competing with him was a mammoth task.
“But the coaches could not dispense of my services, they eventually played me as a midfielder in 1981 starting with Cameroon,” said Sibanda from Harare where he lives and is a farmer outside the capital.
Football was not the only benefactor from Independence as all other sporting disciplines were accepted into the international games platform, paving participation in the All-Africa Games, Commonwealth and Olympics.
Zimbabwe has become a force to reckon with in the region in sport and a number of sportspersons have been world beaters like Langton Tinago in boxing, Minister of Sport Kirsty Coventry in swimming, Wayne Lancaster in shooting, Tendai Chimusasa, Julia Sakala and Ngoni Makusha in athletics.
