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THE Class of ’96 took CAPS United to new heights of football excellence, ending a 17-year wait for the league championship, and has always stood out in nostalgic journeys when the Harare giants’ fans remember the days when the grass was green.
Steve Kwashi and his men set the lofty standards, committing themselves to the values of attacking football and being rewarded richly for their adventures, as they beat the challenge of Dynamos for the premier prize on the domestic front.
Charles Mhlauri and his troops might have achieved more, with back-to-back success stories in 2004 and 2005, including a season when they went unbeaten on the road, and only lost one match to Highlanders when a seven-goal thriller at the National Sports Stadium went Bosso’s way.
But the Class of ’96 remains the benchmark, for the CAPS United ultras, because that Golden Generation destroyed the post-independence curse that seemingly stood between the Green Machine and the glory of the league championship.
Fifteen years have passed since that remarkable journey by the Green Machine and CAPS United are today a sick imitation of the powerful machine that roared that landmark year and won the league, the BP League Cup, the Charity Shield and the Independence Cup.
Interestingly, in a season where CAPS United are being stalked by relegation, it’s ironic that Makepekepe’s current crop of players could find inspiration from the Class of ‘96, and the events that exploded 15 years ago at this stage of the season, in their battle for survival.
The Class of ’96 found itself facing a major challenge, in a blockbuster Harare Derby at Rufaro, the 23rd match of the season, where bitter rivals Dynamos threatened to destroy all that CAPS United had worked for that year with victory giving DeMbare control of the race.Defender Kaitano Tembo scored early, to give the Glamour Boys the lead, which they held on to until the dying stages of the game when CAPS United were awarded a free-kick, a good distance from goal.
Mphumelelo Dzowa’s cracker, hit with power and accuracy, smashed the Dynamos defensive lines and arrowed into the corner, to give CAPS United a priceless draw that turned the tide, drained life out of the DeMbare resurgence and proved critical in the tight race.
In those dying moments, as their flame blew in the wind and felt like dying, the CAPS United players refused to be buried by the challenge that threatened their championship dreams.
They responded with a fight that won them a priceless point.
Tomorrow CAPS United host Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium, badly needing a victory to cheer the spirits and fuel their bid to move away from relegation waters, with the Harare giants sitting just five points clear of the drop zone.
Lloyd Chitembwe, who was a gritty midfielder in that Class of ’96 and experienced first-hand the battling qualities of a Green Machine that refused to die that day, now has the massive task of inspiring his men, as coach, to walk away from the shadow of relegation with tomorrow’s tie very decisive in that quest.
Chitembwe is the most decorated CAPS United player of all-time, the only one among the Green Machine to win three league titles in his career, and while he acknowledges that times have changed, given the difference in the quality of playing personnel, he feels the spirit remains the same.
While Chitembwe and his crew were fighting for glory in ’96, and passed a huge test that day against Dynamos, the coach feels that a similar spirit should also guide them in their battle to safety and it’s always important for the current players to be inspired by the lessons of history.
After 21 games this season, CAPS United, with 25 points, are a massive 27 points off the pace, in direct comparison, to the tally that had been accrued by the Class of ’96 that already had 52 points in the bag after the same number of matches.
“The capacity (to survive relegation) is there and, obviously, in football it’s never easy but it’s not the first time for us to be in this situation and there is always a solution to every challenge,” said Chitembwe.
“The main objective is for us to try and win the coming game and possibly get a good run and things can change very quickly.
“If we can get a good result, just one win, you will see that it will make a very big difference.
“Obviously, a lot has changed in terms of the players that we used to have then and the players that we have now and all the big teams, be it CAPS United, Dynamos or Highlanders are feeling it because the pressure at these teams is unrelenting and the players we have today tend to be affected by that.
“The pressure is intense, every week, because the demand is for them to win every game, so in terms of spirit, yes, it still remains the same as it was in our playing time and we should try and find ways of winning our remaining matches.”
Chitembwe said the secret to their success, in the past, was built on individuals having pride in wearing the green jersey and having the character to win battles on the occasions they were tested – as was the case that afternoon against Dynamos in ’96.
Chitembwe is the third member of that Class of ’96 to sit on the CAPS United bench this year after Brenna Msiska, who underwent surgery early that year, and Alois Bunjira, who scored 23 goals on his way to be named the Kingsgate Premiership Player of the Year.
Msiska and Bunjira – who came in as assistant coaches this year – have since moved on, with the baton being passed to Chitembwe for the final leg of the race, with the mandate to help CAPS United survive the chop.
Chitembwe’s Class of ’96 won five and drew one of their opening six games, en-route to the league title, while the CAPS United team of 2011 won four, drew one and lost one of their first six matches.
The similarities probably end there.
“Our players today need to manage the pressure that is exerted on them so that they can have the freedom to express themselves freely without playing the game with a heavy load,” said Chitembwe.
“We have a big task, obviously, but we are determined to do our best for CAPS United in the circumstances.”
THE Class of ’96 took CAPS United to new heights of football excellence, ending a 17-year wait for the league championship, and has always stood out in nostalgic journeys when the Harare giants’ fans remember the days when the grass was green.
Steve Kwashi and his men set the lofty standards, committing themselves to the values of attacking football and being rewarded richly for their adventures, as they beat the challenge of Dynamos for the premier prize on the domestic front.
Charles Mhlauri and his troops might have achieved more, with back-to-back success stories in 2004 and 2005, including a season when they went unbeaten on the road, and only lost one match to Highlanders when a seven-goal thriller at the National Sports Stadium went Bosso’s way.
But the Class of ’96 remains the benchmark, for the CAPS United ultras, because that Golden Generation destroyed the post-independence curse that seemingly stood between the Green Machine and the glory of the league championship.
Fifteen years have passed since that remarkable journey by the Green Machine and CAPS United are today a sick imitation of the powerful machine that roared that landmark year and won the league, the BP League Cup, the Charity Shield and the Independence Cup.
Interestingly, in a season where CAPS United are being stalked by relegation, it’s ironic that Makepekepe’s current crop of players could find inspiration from the Class of ‘96, and the events that exploded 15 years ago at this stage of the season, in their battle for survival.
The Class of ’96 found itself facing a major challenge, in a blockbuster Harare Derby at Rufaro, the 23rd match of the season, where bitter rivals Dynamos threatened to destroy all that CAPS United had worked for that year with victory giving DeMbare control of the race.Defender Kaitano Tembo scored early, to give the Glamour Boys the lead, which they held on to until the dying stages of the game when CAPS United were awarded a free-kick, a good distance from goal.
Mphumelelo Dzowa’s cracker, hit with power and accuracy, smashed the Dynamos defensive lines and arrowed into the corner, to give CAPS United a priceless draw that turned the tide, drained life out of the DeMbare resurgence and proved critical in the tight race.
In those dying moments, as their flame blew in the wind and felt like dying, the CAPS United players refused to be buried by the challenge that threatened their championship dreams.
They responded with a fight that won them a priceless point.
Tomorrow CAPS United host Highlanders at the National Sports Stadium, badly needing a victory to cheer the spirits and fuel their bid to move away from relegation waters, with the Harare giants sitting just five points clear of the drop zone.
Lloyd Chitembwe, who was a gritty midfielder in that Class of ’96 and experienced first-hand the battling qualities of a Green Machine that refused to die that day, now has the massive task of inspiring his men, as coach, to walk away from the shadow of relegation with tomorrow’s tie very decisive in that quest.
Chitembwe is the most decorated CAPS United player of all-time, the only one among the Green Machine to win three league titles in his career, and while he acknowledges that times have changed, given the difference in the quality of playing personnel, he feels the spirit remains the same.
While Chitembwe and his crew were fighting for glory in ’96, and passed a huge test that day against Dynamos, the coach feels that a similar spirit should also guide them in their battle to safety and it’s always important for the current players to be inspired by the lessons of history.
After 21 games this season, CAPS United, with 25 points, are a massive 27 points off the pace, in direct comparison, to the tally that had been accrued by the Class of ’96 that already had 52 points in the bag after the same number of matches.
“The capacity (to survive relegation) is there and, obviously, in football it’s never easy but it’s not the first time for us to be in this situation and there is always a solution to every challenge,” said Chitembwe.
“The main objective is for us to try and win the coming game and possibly get a good run and things can change very quickly.
“If we can get a good result, just one win, you will see that it will make a very big difference.
“Obviously, a lot has changed in terms of the players that we used to have then and the players that we have now and all the big teams, be it CAPS United, Dynamos or Highlanders are feeling it because the pressure at these teams is unrelenting and the players we have today tend to be affected by that.
“The pressure is intense, every week, because the demand is for them to win every game, so in terms of spirit, yes, it still remains the same as it was in our playing time and we should try and find ways of winning our remaining matches.”
Chitembwe said the secret to their success, in the past, was built on individuals having pride in wearing the green jersey and having the character to win battles on the occasions they were tested – as was the case that afternoon against Dynamos in ’96.
Chitembwe is the third member of that Class of ’96 to sit on the CAPS United bench this year after Brenna Msiska, who underwent surgery early that year, and Alois Bunjira, who scored 23 goals on his way to be named the Kingsgate Premiership Player of the Year.
Msiska and Bunjira – who came in as assistant coaches this year – have since moved on, with the baton being passed to Chitembwe for the final leg of the race, with the mandate to help CAPS United survive the chop.
Chitembwe’s Class of ’96 won five and drew one of their opening six games, en-route to the league title, while the CAPS United team of 2011 won four, drew one and lost one of their first six matches.
The similarities probably end there.
“Our players today need to manage the pressure that is exerted on them so that they can have the freedom to express themselves freely without playing the game with a heavy load,” said Chitembwe.
“We have a big task, obviously, but we are determined to do our best for CAPS United in the circumstances.”