The derby’s memories

Charles CNN Mabika

For the 44th year, the Harare Derby will be played when leaders CAPS United host their biggest rivals, Dynamos, in a Castle Lager Premiership showdown at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Their first battle was in 1977.

It could have been the 47th year of the flagship battle but it’s important to note that the Derby was not played in 1998, after a change in the calendar.

It wasn’t played in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Here are some of the epic battle’s fascinating facts:

A goal-feast marked the first encounter on March 20,1977, with FIVE goals being scored, with Shacky Tauro, scoring a brace, in a 2-3 losing cause, for the Green Machine.

In that first match, there were THREE different scorers for Dynamos — George Shaya, David George and Kuda Muchemeyi even though the star of the show was the immortal George Shaya.

The late Tauro is the highest scorer in the Derby with 16 goals while Moses Chunga has 14 goals in the showdown.

The first player to cross the Great Divide was former DeMbare ‘keeper, Matthew Mwale, who joined the Green Machine while Steve “Biko” Phiri was the first ex-Makepekepe player to join DeMbare.

The biggest winning margin for Dynamos, in matches against CAPS United, was in the ’84 Chibuku Trophy semi-final when they powered to a 6-2 win at Rufaro.

Legendary coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa coached both CAPS United and Dynamos.

Chunga, Denver Mukamba, Ocean Mushure and Ronald Pfumbidzai have scored in the Derby directly from corner kicks.

Ten sets of brothers have featured in the Derby — Francis and George Nechironga, David and Ronald Sengu, Elton and Cephas Chimedza, Joe and Innocent Mugabe, Sunday and Misheck Chidzambwa, Kembo, Moses and Dickson Chunga, Edward and Lloyd Katsvere, Tendai and Taurai Mangwiro, Claudius Zviripayi and Vitalis Takawira and Tauya and Tichaona Murewa.

The King of the Derby is Murape Murape, who featured in the big match 45 times, over two decades.

Hussein Amidu played for Dynamos and his sons, Abbas and Brett, also featured in the big showdown.

Nine foreign coaches have taken charge of the Derby — Ntibehene Bonsu (Ghana), Fewdays Musonda (Zambia), Sean Connor (Ireland), Mark Harrison (England), Fred Mwila and Keegan Mumba (Zambia), Clemens Westerhof (Netherlands), Zoran Pesic (Serbia), Jorge Silva (Portugal).

Additional reporting by Charles “CNN” Mabika