15 years after the Classic, giants return where it started
Arsenal did it that year, but just one loss denied CAPS Utd the tag of Invincibility
A GOAL every 13 minutes in three hours of high drama, goal-scorers from both sides of the Zambezi, three penalties and a goalkeeper getting his name on the scoresheet.
All this combined to provide the ingredients for arguably the greatest backto-back showdown in the history of the domestic Premiership.
‘’I will cherish every moment of that game and I think I was the first goalkeeper to score a brace (in one match),’’ said Tapiwa Kapini, who was the Bosso ‘keeper in those two Classics.
Never before, and never since, has the country’s top-flight league seen anything like that — a classic pound-for-pound battle, in which neither party was prepared to give an inch.
Where both parties went for broke and where neither party won in the City of Kings despite a six-goal thriller.
Of course, no team could master the art of beating CAPS United on the road in the league in that campaign.
And, not even a three-goal burst by Highlanders at Barbourfields could change that, with the Green Machine’s never-saydie spirit winning them a last-gasp penalty which sparked disturbances.
A few days later, in Harare, Bosso even went one better, scoring four times, and by the end of yet another battle royale, the Bulawayo giants had inflicted the first, and only, defeat of the Green Machine in the league during that campaign with a mindblowing 4-3 triumph. That was 15 years ago. And the defeat ensured Makepekepe faltered in their quest to become the first team, in the era of the domestic Premiership, to complete the entire league campaign unbeaten in a year in which, as fate would have it, Arsenal’s Invincibles soared into immortality as they completed the season without losing a league match.
Preston North End had been the last English side to complete an entire league campaign unbeaten during the 1888/1889 football season.
“History will record that in that season, CAPS United were virtually unbeatable, losing only one game, we amassed the highest points score of any team in the history of the Premiership, a points score that has never come close to being beaten since,’’ Andy Hodges, who was the Green Machine chairman, then, reflected.
‘’The most goals scored and the best defence, we won with five games to spare in a season that must go down as one of the greatest in our history.
“We won every Cup on offer and were voted the most popular team in the nation, even beating Highlanders and Dynamos countrywide as per the public votes at OK Supermarkets.
“We went on to win, I believe, for the first time, the PSL Soccer Star of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year awards and we had a total of 16 players out of the 23 in various national team squads.”
Fifteen years after that Classic, the two protagonists go head-to-head again on Sunday when CAPS United invade the City of Kings for the first of their mandatory two-part annual showdown against Bosso.
Dubbed the Battle of the Cities, this fiery contest has evolved to produce some of the best duels in domestic football, although never coming close to matching the benchmark set by those two battles in 2004, although there are expectations this year’s duel will be an explosive one.
CAPS United, champions of the domestic Premiership three years ago, are on a campaign to regain the mojo that helped them soar to the top of the tree that season, providing them with a ticket to play in the CAF Champions League where they knocked out five-time African champions TP Mazembe.
They also thrashed the other five-time African champions, Zamalek of Egypt, at the National Sports Stadium as they impressed in their group matches.
Lloyd Chitembwe’s men started their new campaign with an impressive first half, where the talents of young midfielder Blessing Sarupinda, catching the eye in his debut show for the Green Machine while the pace of their wingers, the returning Phineas Bhamusi and Gabriel Nyoni, terrorised the Manica Diamonds defenders.
Nyoni, in particular, is set to return to the place, Barbourfields, which he had called home for years as a member of the Bosso family, rising through the ranks to become the Bulawayo giants’ vice-captain last season.
However, at the end of last year, the speed merchant decided he needed a fresh challenge and retraced his footsteps to CAPS United, where his career had begun as part of the club’s junior players.
Cephas Chimedza, then at the very peak of his athletic powers, was one of those who were involved in those back-to-back Classic duels 15 years ago, including scoring in the second game at the National Sports Stadium.
He believes the 3-3 draw at a packed Barbourfields was the better game and one of the best he has played in.
“I have to say the 3-3 draw at Barbourfields,’’ he said when asked which of the two games he enjoyed the most.
“We scored a last-minute penalty and the atmosphere was just insane inside the stadium.
“Those two matches were a good advert for our football that season. I remember both sets of fans applauding at the end of the match at the National Sports Stadium.’’
Interestingly, Chimedza even claims he featured in an even better contest on the domestic front than those two Classic matches against Bosso.
“The 2-1 win over Dynamos at Rufaro when we played for almost an hour with 10 men after (Silent) Katumba was red-carded,’’ said Chimedza.
“It was also the first time I faced Dynamos after my switch to CAPS United.’’
If the Classes of 2009, on both sides, can produce a contest, on Sunday, half as good as any of those two Classic of 2004, then they would have handed the fans, who are expected to fill Barbourfields to capacity, real value for their money.
There is a feeling in this Green Machine they have the arsenal to score three goals at Barbourfields on Sunday but, whether they can do that, is another issue altogether.
Highlanders showed character, something they used to miss in the second half of the season last year, to fight from a goal down to snatch a huge point against Black Rhinos at the National Sports Stadium last Saturday.
And, just like in that Class of 2004 when they had the goal-scoring Kapini, Bosso now appear to have a goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda, who can provide inspiration for his teammates by also scoring goals.
Whatever happens on Sunday, there is no question the drama of 15 years ago will continue to cast its spell over this showdown.