CAPS United F.C.
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| Full name | CAPS United F.C. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Makepekepe or Green Machine | ||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1973 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ground | National Sports Stadium Harare, Zimbabwe (Capacity 60,000) |
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| Chairman | Twine Phiri | ||||||||||||||||
| League | CBZ Premier Soccer League (ZPSL) |
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| 2007 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
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CAPS United F.C. is a Zimbabwean soccer club based in Harare.Formed in 1973, the team rose to prominence in the late 1970's and early eighties when it was home to some of the finest ever Zimbabwean players. These include the feted striker Shacky "Mr. Goals" Tauro, the late Stanley "Sinyo" Ndunduma, Joel "Jubilee" Shambo, Stanford ”Stix“ Mtizwa, Friday “Breakdown” Phiri, Clever Muzuva, Size Torindo and Brenna Msiska. During this period, CAPS United got the nickname "Cup Kings" as it virtually monopolised championship to knockout tournaments like Chibuku Trophy, Roseball Charity Shield and the Independence Trophy. Its avid fans nicknamed it "Makepekepe".
The creation of Black Rhinos F.C, bankrolled by the Zimbabwe Defense Forces in mid eighties, nearly sank the CAPS United ship as almost all of their cream players joined the army side because of its financial potency. However, CAPS United soldiered on and would still claim some knockout tournaments with such players like Abdul Karim, Carlos Marx, Tobias Sibanda, Never “Maswera Sei” Chiku, Eddie Muchongwe, Silver “Bonzo” Chigwenje, Maxwell Cheche Biliart and Basil Chisopo.
Good old days returned to the club in 1996 when it won the Castle Larger Premier Soccer League under the tutelage of coach Steven Kwashi. Powered by the likes of indefatigable Joe "Kode" Mugabe, Morgan Nkatazo, Mpumelelo Dzowa, Lloyd Chitembwe, Farai Mbidzo, Edelbert Dinha, Charles Yohanne, Stewart "Shutto" Murisa and Alois "Criss-Cross" Bunjira, CAPS United virtually swept all before it, powering to an inevitable glory. According to Robson Sharuko, a Zimbabwean sports journalist, that was the “finest attacking team ever assembled in the ‘90s” in Zimbabwe.
A bad patch came to haunt the club in the late 1990s when it was almost relegated to Division One League football because of financial constraints faced by their sponsors, CAPS Holdings Limited. A host of players left for greener pastures to either South Africa or Europe. The sponsors decided to sell the CAPS United franchise to a hitherto little known soft spoken Harare businessman Twine Phiri. Although he struggled in the early days of running the club, Phiri remained determined to transform the club into a force to reckon with and immediately turned the club into a professional outfit. His efforts were rewarded in 2004 when the team won the Championship for the third time in its history. With Charles Mhlauri as the head coach, the team had such star players like Cephas Chimedza, Lloyd “Lodza” Chitembwe, Leonard “Aghahohwa” Tsipa, Brian “Marcopolo” Badza, Raymond Undi, Ashely Rambanepasi, Blessing Makunike and the Zambian duo of Laughter Chilembe and Ian Bakala.
The team’s fans christened the club "The Green Machine" because of its colours and were regarded in the Zimbabwe Media as a threat to vegetation as they would cut tree branches to use as regalia in supporting their team. Despite losing other star players like Blessing “Yogo-Yogo” Makunike (accident), Artwell Mabhiza, David Sengu and Raymond Undi who migrated to England in 2005, the team went on to retain the Championship the same year, with a Malawi international midfielder Joseph Kamwendo shining the whole season.
CAPS United always remains a threat to other traditional heavyweights Highlanders and Dynamos who are its major rivals.
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[edit] Contribution to the Zimbabwe Warriors
Several players from CAPS United have played for the Zimbabwe National team. The list includes Solomon Kaseke, The late Misheck 'Zuda' Nelson, Brenna Msiska, Abdul Karim, Energy Murambadoro (goalkeepers), Shacky Tauro, Stanford Mtizwa, Joel Shambo, Friday Phiri, Carlos Marx, Dumisani Mpofu, Edelbert Dinha, Lloyd Chitembwe, Charles Yohanne, Morgan Nkatazo, Mpumelelo Dzowa, Blessing Makunike, Steve Paddington Mbara and Cephas Chimedza
The green machine led the soccer revolution through acquiring professitional players from neighbouring countries as well as making strategic partnerships with European countries like Belgium.
However, the club had an unforgettable cruise in the African safari after it was suspended for 3 years from the African Champions League in 2006 after using an unregistered player.
[edit] Honours
- Zimbabwean Charity Shield: 1
[edit] Performance in CAF competitions
- CAF Cup: 3 appearances
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- 1993 - withdrew in First Round
- 1994 - disqualified in First Round
- 1998 - withdrew in First Round
- CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 4 appearances
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- 1981 - Second Round
- 1982 - Quarter-Final
- 1983 - Quarter-Final
- 1988 - First Round
[edit] Current squad
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