Chipangano FC, How it started

Now that Hwange FC, better known by its multitudes of fans as Chipangano is back with the big boys,
Indonsakusa gives the second and final part of how the club was formed and who its yesteryear great
players were.
After losing the coach and key players to Chibuku Shumba in 1975, the Hwange soldiered on.
The club had strengthened their base by acquiring players like George Phiri, Nyaro Mumba, Skeva Phiri
and Austin Ncube from Kamativi and Mhangura Mines. It was hard to grace the national calendar of
soccer stars during those days. Other players apart from Amos Rendo who managed to appear in the
Soccer Stars of the Year Calendar during the 1970 to 1977 period are Phosani Sibanda, Stephen Tshuma
and Kizito Tembo.
Sadly, 1980 marked the end of the golden generation. The defence stalwart Amos Rendo hung his boots
in 1980 and most of his mates had done so between 1976 and 1979. The chapter had closed.
The new era that had commenced was a typical dry season. By 1981, the signs that the Club was sinking
had begun to show. Finally, in 1982 the Club was relegated from the Super League for the first time in its
history! However, the introduction of State House Tornados saved the day for Hwange as the number of
teams in the Super League was increased enabling Hwange to play Eagles of Bulawayo in a promotion
playoff in which Hwange won by a good six nil margin.
In 1983, the club was back in the Super league but as fate will decide, the team was relegated again. The
team was in Division 1 for only a season, and in 1985, it was back into the Super League and won the
Heroes Trophy that year. In 1987, the team was relegated again and bounced back in 1989 after
spending just one season in the wilderness.Since then the club has been relegated three more times, in
2007, 2017 and recently in 2019. The club once again visited its trophy cabinet in 1992 as Hwange won
the ZIFA Cup and represented the country in the 1993-Cup. The Winners Cup competition
representatives where eliminated in the first round by Kenya Breweries of Kenya. The Club also
represented the country in the same competitions in 2012 and were eliminated in the second round by
Ahl Ally FC of Sudan.
While the golden generation of the 1960s and early 70s produced arguably complete talented squads,
the generations of 80s, 90s up to the present also saw a number of high calibre individual talents. Some
of these players include Walter Chuma, Takesure Chinyama, Fabian Zulu, Gilbert Zulu, Carrington
Gomba, Method Mwanjali, Aaron Katebe, Evans Rusike, and Obert Moyo who (went to play in other
leagues in the COSAFA Region and beyond. It must also be noted that the club nearly produced another
golden generation after 2001 but the mass exodus of eight players who were the backbone of the team
extinguished the dream. The parting players among others included goalkeepers Chenjerai Dube,
Witness Munkuli, defender Milos Phiri and midfielder Jabulani.

The setbacks as bad as they were, enabled the club to unveil new talent every season. The club currently
has more than 500 former players dotted around the country and beyond its borders, who once donned
the famous gold and blue colours of the club back in the day and the current gold, black and red colours.
As many as they are, it will be impossible to forget names such as Chutika Tembo, David Khumalo, Isaac
Phiri, Jimmy Sibanda, Chingumbe Maluku, Walter Chuma, David Phiri, Nation Dube, Taboniswa Ncube,
Brian Njobvu Mebelo Njekwa, Dick Banda, Takesure Chinyama, Method Mwanjali, Carrington Gomba,
Malvern Longwe and the current assistant coach Cobra Obert Moyo among many others.
After national independence in 1980, the club was home to many Zambian players namely Charles
Chilufya, Chama Kaila, Joseph Mwansa, Aaron Katebe, Kennedy Katema, and Scott Lombe among many
others. Zambian coaches also came to bark orders from our touchline. These include Mwape Sakala, the
second African coach during the period of the golden generation to be in charge of the team after
Sipriano Ngoma, Rodrick Simwanza, Vincent Mandona, Johns Chilengi and recently Tennant Chilumba
who was with the club from 2011 to 2013. From the pool of local coaches who were once in charge of
the team, Paul Moyo is outstanding in terms of the influence he had on the team as well as the number
of times, three to be precise, when he was in charge of Chipangano. Moyo remains one of the coaches
with interesting episodes in their employment at Hwange. At one time, he was fired in the morning, and
was rehired in the afternoon of the same day! Other coaches like Nyaro Mumba, Weekly Mwale, Enerst
Kamba, David Mwanza, and Tavaka Gumbo took charge of the team at different times but it is Nation
Dube who enjoyed the longest stint at the helm of the team running close to 15 years.
Welcome back Chipangano!