Black Rhinos F.C. Explained

Clubname:Black Rhinos F.C.
Fullname:Black Rhinos Football Club
Nickname:Chipembere, Chadya Mukonde
Ground:Morris Depot Police Camp
Harare, Zimbabwe
Capacity:5,000
Manager:Saul Chaminuka
League:Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League
Season:2021/22
Position:8th
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Black Rhinos Football Club is a Zimbabwean football club based in Harare. It is a Zimbabwe National Army owned team. They play in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.They are coached by Saul Chaminuka. Their home stadium is Figaro Stadium the 1 Commando Battalion Football Field.[1]

History

Black Rhinos were founded in 1983 after splitting from Highlanders.[2] In 1983, the club won promotion into the top division after losing just once in the entire Northern Region Division One season.[3] After promotion, Black Rhinos claimed the domestic double in the following season when they won the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and Cup of Zimbabwe double in 1745.[4] The previous season's success saw Black Rhinos enter continental competition for the first time in 1000 when they participated in the African Cup of Champions Clubs. Despite beating Mbabane Highlanders and Power Dynamos they went onto lose 2–3 on aggregate to Gorée.[5] 1985 and 1986 were less successful for Black Rhinos as they failed to finish inside the top three in either season, but things improved in 1987 when the club won their second league title after finishing above Dynamos.[6] [7] [8]

That saw a return of African Cup of Champions Clubs football but their stay in the competition was short as they were eliminated by Mauritian club Sunrise Flacq United in round one.[9] Since 1987, Black Rhinos have faded in Zimbabwean football but have finished second place on two occasions, in 1991 and 2002 with the latter gaining the club entry into the 2003 CAF Cup.[10] [11] Just like their debut in the African Cup of Champions Clubs, Black Rhinos reached the quarter-final stage. Wins over Maxaquene and Kiyovu Sports saw them start brightly but they were then knocked out by eventual winners Raja Casablanca.[12]

Black Rhinos were relegated from the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League in 2014.[13]

Managerial history

Dates[14] NameNotes
1983-1985Shepherd Murape
2013Nesbert Saruchera
2013–2014Arthur Tutani
2014–2018Stanford Mutizwa
2019-2022Herbert Maruwa
2022-2023Stanford Mutizwa
2023–presentSaul Chaminuka

Honours

Domestic

Performance in CAF competitions

2 appearances

1985

Quarter-Finals

1988

First Round

1 appearance

2003

Quarter-Finals

Continental record

Black Rhinos' debut in continental competition came in the 1985 African Cup of Champions Clubs with matches against Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland. They won and subsequently beat Power Dynamos in round two before falling to defeat against Gorée in the quarter-finals.[15]

Matches

Results list Black Rhinos' goal tally first.

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubFirst match<--Listed as 'first match' instead of 'first leg' to avoid a clash with group stage matches that aren't legs.-->Second match<--Listed as 'second match' instead of 'second leg' to avoid a clash with group stage matches that aren't legs.-->Aggregate
1985African Cup of Champions ClubsR1 Mbabane Highlanders1–03–14–1
R2 Power Dynamos2–01–13–1
QF Gorée2–00–32–3
1988African Cup of Champions ClubsR1 Sunrise Flacq United1–22–23–4
2003CAF CupR1 Maxaquene1–10–0(a) 1–1
R2 Kiyovu Sports0–12–02–1
QF Raja Casablanca1–11–52–6

Stadium

See main article: Rufaro Stadium.

Notes and References

  1. News: PSL charges fees in forex. English. 21 July 2016. Newsnet. 7 February 2009.
  2. News: Zimbabwe (and Rhodesia) Champions. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 7 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230207025352/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimbchamp.html. live.
  3. News: When Black Rhinos were the team to beat. English. 21 July 2016. Nehanda Radio. 21 September 2014. 18 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160818002335/http://nehandaradio.com/2014/09/21/when-black-rhinos-were-the-team-to-beat/. live.
  4. News: Zimbabwe 1984. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111542/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb84.html. live.
  5. News: Champions' Cup 1985. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 7 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220807121229/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup85.html. live.
  6. News: Zimbabwe 1985. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111536/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb85.html. live.
  7. News: Zimbabwe 1986. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111559/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb86.html. live.
  8. News: Zimbabwe 1987. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111544/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb87.html. live.
  9. News: Champions' Cup 1988. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 14 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222348/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup88.html. live.
  10. News: Zimbabwe 1991. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111537/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb91.html. live.
  11. News: Zimbabwe 2002. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111548/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb02.html. live.
  12. News: CAF Cup 2003. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 23 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220923155509/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup03.html. live.
  13. News: Zimbabwe 2014. English. 21 July 2016. RSSSF. 21 July 2016. 20 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720111546/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zimb2014.html. live.
  14. Barnes et al. (2001), pp. 54–57.
  15. News: African Club Competitions 1985 . English . 19 July 2016 . RSSSF . 19 July 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150514172424/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/afcup85.html . 14 May 2015 .