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Tedious Manyepo Sports Reporter
SOME eight years ago, Edmore “Zikeeper” Sibanda announced his arrival at CAPS United with a bang.

Having spent barely six days with Makepekepe after being plucked from Chapungu, Sibanda’s debut for the Harare giants was always going to be decisive given that the agile Tsungi Mudzamiri had become a darling of the club’s fans.

And as fate would have it, Sibanda’s debut was to be on a grand stage, a tense BancABC semi-final tie against the Green Machine’s perennial foes Dynamos before a packed Rufaro.

The Glamour Boys then walking with a spring in their step, having won the 2007 league title for the first time in the 21st century to end a decade-long wait and having broken a five-year jinx to finally beat CAPS in a league match with Edward Sadomba’s converted penalty deciding the first leg tie between the teams, were confident of upstaging their neighbours.

The BancABC match, which someone between the two giants had to win presented either side with an opportunity to grab the bragging rights, given that their first leg league outing, which had opened the 2008 Premiership season at a rain-drenched Gwanzura had ended in a 1-1 draw.

As some supporters were still looking for sitting space, Dynamos were awarded a penalty. Up stepped the livewire winger, Sadomba who had become the mainstay of DeMbare’s attack to unleash a pacey lawnmower to the right of Sibanda who stretched with great elasticity that defied physics to parry the effort for a corner.

Immediately after the moment, the huge goalkeeper earned the nickname “ZiKeeper” from relieved CAPS United supporters, most of them who had also felt the penalty call was a bit harsh.

That the Green Machine went on to beat Dynamos 1-0 in the encounter after Sibanda had first given them the lifeline, saving a penalty from the same man who had inflicted CAPS’ first league defeat by their rivals in half-a-decade from the same spot made the big goalkeeper an instant hit with the fans.

The goalkeeper went on to make some match winning saves in the final which CAPS won 2-1 against a determined Atwell Nyamiwa-inspired Lengthens.

Sibanda maintained his form and earned Warriors’ coach Sunday Chidzambwa’s trust to keep the goal for Zimbabwe in the COSAFA Cup tournament which Zimbabwe won on home soil beating Zambia 3-1 at Rufaro a year later.

Since then, “Zikeeper” became the darling of not only CAPS United fans, but the whole country. But then, amidst the fame and glitz, “Zikeeper” found himself mired in the Asiagate match-fixing allegations which earned him a life ban from all footballing activities in 2011.

The ban has since been lifted and Sibanda is back at CAPS United.

On Wednesday, he made a sensational return.

And after the match, he exclaimed: “After about three years without his CAPS, Zikeeper is back!

“It feels great to be back at the team which I love the most. I don’t have any comment about the Asiagate ban.”

CAPS take on Highlanders tomorrow at Barbourfields and Sibanda is a sure bet, barring injuries, to be thrust into the fold.

He has shown in the game against Tsholotsho that he is still good, but is he still good enough?

Only time will tell.