HEADING into 5 August 1979 CAPS United were a relatively unknown quantity despite having been in existence.
They had reached a major final for the second time in their six-year history, the Chibuku Trophy against a star-studded Zimbabwe Saints.
This was despite the fact that they were 1-0 losers of the 1977 Castle Cup won by Zimbabwe Saints.
They were rank outsiders to win the tournament but at the end of the final, which was replayed after a draw in the first match, the event turned out to be a launchpad for new stars.
So the 1979 Chibuku Trophy offered an opportunity to revenge the Castle Cup loss while for Chikwata it was re-asserting itself as a force to reckon with following a successful field in 1977.
Saints had failed to show the tenacity exhibited in their best season ever (1977) when they missed out on most silverware in 1978 despite having been a dominant side.
In 1977 Zimbabwe Saints won the league and cup double, a rare feat during those days.
Saints still had a bulk of those players and had the luxury too of recalling the trio of Max “Shaluza” Tshuma (Moroka Swallows), Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo (Kaizer Chiefs) and Onias Musana (Moroka Swallows).
That added firepower to a side boasting of Itai Chieza, Gibson Homela, William Sibanda, Douglas Maneto, Philemon Dangarembwa, Isaac Banda, Kingstone Zimunya and Peter Zimuto.
So that cup final was not only the launchpad for CAPS United but a host of other players in the Harare side’s line-up.
Saints had cruised 2-0 past Black Aces and in Harare CAPS had a lacklustre outing with Black Horrors.
Horrors had driven all the way from Plumtree Town to Harare then Salisbury in a red Isuzu truck. Many who saw them arrive thought they were probably a group of mine or farm workers given a rare opportunity to watch a semi-final tie.
Out of the back of the truck after negotiating past gate marshals, the players who included Flackson Sibanda, Lemmy Mnenekwa and Grey Ncube walked to the dressing room and later trode to the pitch with expectations still on for a team to face CAPS United to arrive in a bus.
CAPS won the tie 3-0 to book a date with Zimbabwe Saints.
Notably CAPS United had just been to one cup final and in terms of players to note, then Chronicle soccer writer, the late David Ncube seemingly knew of Shaky Tauro whom he had described as probably the top goalscorer in the country at that moment.
Ncube also mentioned Isaac Mafaro who he described as a winger of note whose last cup final was a 4-0 disaster while at Highlanders in 1976. Bosso were beaten 4-0 by Saints at Rufaro Stadium with Gibson Homela and Max Tshuma scoring braces in the final of the same tournament, the Chibuku Trophy.
The writer had tipped either Steven Chuma or Homela to police Tauro in that afternoon.
In the preview while CAPS had just two players mentioned while Saints had almost half-a-dozen. Those being Chuma, Homela, Tshuma, William Sibanda, Muguyo and Musana. That was an indication of the odds of the day.
But it was CAPS’s virtually unknowns that would steal the show alongside Tauro to announce themselves in the local game.
“RUFARO DEADLOCK — SAINTS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE” screamed The Chronicle backpage headline on 6 August 1979.
The teams had played to a 3-3 draw.
Saints had survived a surprise strong challenge from a side they were expected to overrun literally.
The Bulawayo giants had two defensive mistakes made by CAPS to thank in the draw.
Saints owed the draw to the duo of Muguyo and Musana for capitalising on the two mistakes to force a draw.
CAPS went into the lead through young midfielder Joel Shambo who had caught a retreating Saints defence unawares to beat Musa Muzanenhamo.
Musana equalised for Saints, with Tauro and Kainoth Chindungwe scoring the other two goals for CAPS.
For Chikwata Musana and Muguyo carried the day.
In the replay at Barbourfields Stadium a fortnight later, Tauro netted a hat-trick, Chindungwe and Stanford “Stix” M’tizwa were on target too.
Musana scored a brace living up to what Ncube had written in the build-up to the first match that the result hinged on the form of Tauro and Saints’ scorer.
While all Zimbabwe Saints players retained their statuses, so many of the CAPS United guys got their images enhanced.
The country took note of a new order in football.
New stars had been born far from the popular brigade from Arcadia, George Rollo, Bethal Salis, the Dhana brothers Hamid and Majid, Dynamos’ George Shaya, David George, Oliver Kateya, Shaw Handriade, Kuda Muchemeyi and Sunday Marimo (Chidzambwa).
Wankie later to change to Hwange FC, had its own talented cast led by right winger David Khumalo, who played alongside Amos Rendo, Isaac Maduku, Jimmy Sibanda, Nathaniel Maduku, Rodrick Simwanza, Chris Yoyo and Nyaro Mumba.
One would not ignore Highlanders’ Tymon Mabaleka, Majuta Mpofu, Josiah Nxumalo and Doughty Sithole, nor would anyone ignore Barry Daka at Olympics.
Rio Tinto gave Zimbabwe several Phiris to talk about, Joshua, Raphael and Wonder, Robert Godoka and Gibson Sibanda.
All of a sudden young boys were dropping their shorts in what they called “IsiShakyman.” Tauro’s shorts appeared to deliberately drop, youngsters were presented with new heroes, some sparkling talent exposed by CAPS United’s appearance in the Chibuku Trophy final in 1979 in which some beautiful attacking football was played on the wings, midfield and punctuated by some telling finish by a man nicknamed Mr Goals.
That was Shaky Tauro, a striker whose profile rose double-fold despite having been a striker of note so good that he was in the national team back in 1977.
Deservingly Shaky Tauro was voted Soccer Star of the Year alongside Stix Mtizwa, Stanley Ndunduma and Joel Shambo.
The quartet would dominate the Zimbabwe football scene with regular national team call-ups and appearances in the glamorous Castle Soccer Star of the Year calendar.
Ndunduma was a genius on the wing, M’tizwa a magician, Shambo an artist and Tauro a lethal finisher.
Aging former national team goalkeeper Matthew Mwale, was an imposing figure in goal, Charles Sibanda good as they came in defence and more stars would rise over the decades to keep the legacy glowing.
That CAPS United won its first national league title in 1979 edging Zimbabwe Saints in a national play-off is telling.
A giant had arrived on the scene to change the football landscape.