On this day (14th June) in 1983 with Dave Sexton‘s Sky Blues having survived for another Division One season after finishing nineteenth a close season tour, the club’s first in Africa, was underway but with a new boss, former Sky Blue player (and CCFPA member) Bobby Gould. Zimbabwe had only received its independence from the UK three years earlier.
Three matches had been played earlier in the month. First, the National side of Zimbabwe had been seen off 5-2 at the capital Harare, then a National Under 20 XI were defeated 4-2 at Gweru. Next, the main club in the country’s second city, Bulawayo Saints managed to defeat the Sky Blues 4-2.
For today’s game the Sky Blues returned to Harare to play against an invitation ‘President’s XI‘. For history buffs the Zimbabwean President at the time was one Canaan Banana, the country’s first since it gained independence from the UK in 1980. He was a Methodist minister and served until 1987 when succeeded by Robert Mugabe (who remained at the top until deposed by military action in November 2017). Mr Banana’s role in the 1980s was largely ceremonial and Mr Mugabe as the country’s PM was the power behind the throne even then.
Getting back to the football, the Sky Blues had little trouble disposing of the President’s XI eventually winning 5-1 with all the CCFC goals coming from different players!
Sky Blues defenders (both now CCFPA members) Paul Dyson and Gary Gillespie scored as well as rookie forward Steve Mardenborough and even (CCFPA members both) the ‘gaffer’ Bobby Gould and coach George Dalton got onto the score sheet!
Two more games of the tour remained in the following three days (see later posts)
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