# Black Rhinos F.C.

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.

## History

Black Rhinos were founded in 1983 after splitting from Highlanders. In 1983, the club won promotion into the top division after losing just once in the entire Northern Region Division One season. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
Black Rhinos were relegated from the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League in 2014.

### Managerial history

| Dates | Name |
| 1983-1985 | Shepherd Murape |
| 2013 | Nesbert Saruchera |
| 2013–2014 | Arthur Tutani |
| 2014–2018 | Stanford Mutizwa |
| 2019-2022 | Herbert Maruwa |
| 2022-2023 | Stanford Mutizwa |
| 2023–present | Saul Chaminuka |

## Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ZIM | Stanley Chakwana |
| — | DF | ZIM | |
| — | MF | ZIM | |
| — | FW | ZIM | Denzel Mutudza |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ZIM | |
| — | DF | ZIM | |
| — | MF | ZIM | |
| — | FW | ZIM | Gahadzikwa |

## Honours
### Domestic

* Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League: 2
** 1984, 1987
* Cup of Zimbabwe: 1
** 1984

## Performance in CAF competitions

* African Cup of Champions Clubs: 2 appearances
       1985: Quarter-Finals
       1988: First Round
* CAF Cup: 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.

#### Matches

    Results list Black Rhinos' goal tally first.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | First match | Second match | Aggregate |
| 1985 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | R1 | Mbabane Highlanders | 1–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 |
| 1985 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | R2 | Power Dynamos | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| 1985 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | QF | Gorée | 2–0 | 0–3 | 2–3 |
| 1988 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | R1 | Sunrise Flacq United | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–4 |
| 2003 | CAF Cup | R1 | Maxaquene | 1–1 | 0–0 | (a) 1–1 |
| 2003 | CAF Cup | R2 | Kiyovu Sports | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 |
| 2003 | CAF Cup | QF | Raja Casablanca | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–6 |