Bantu Rovers Under-19 football side were beaten 3-1 by Arsenal FC USSF Under-17/18 Academy in the semi-finals of the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup at FC Dallas Park Field in the US on Saturday.
Tshintsha Guluva won a berth to the quarter-finals of the tournament by wild card after they were second-placed in Bracket F of competition after Solar Chelsea Under-17-18 USSF Academy in the round-robin stage.
Solar Chelsea had thumped Bantu Rovers, the first Zimbabwean team to take part in the Dallas Cup, 3-0 in the decider of Bracket F after both teams had emphatically won their first two matches against Charming Club of Mexico and Central California Blues respectively.
Bantu Rovers beat Central California Blues 4-1 and Charming Club 5-0 in the group stages before they fell 3-0 to Solar Chelsea in the decider.
Ray Lunga, a Bantu Rovers juniour based in the US, playing for Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, featured for his former club and scored a brace in each of the two matches.
Ezra Siyaduba and Marvelous Nakamba scored the other goals in the 4-1 match while Brian Mpala grabbed a brace in the second game with Bright Dzowa scoring the fifth goal.
Solar Chelsea had hammered Charming Club 6-0 and Central California 4-1 to lead Bracket F by one goaldifference ahead of Bantu Rovers, coached by former Warriors and Highlanders midfielder Johannes Ngodzo.
After getting a place in the quarterfinal berth, Bantu Rovers beat the winners of Bracket A, CZ Elite of California 3-0 to cruise to the semi-final of the competition before they were bundled out by Arsenal FC USSF Academy.
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Arsenal FC USSF Academy were late yesterday scheduled to play Solar Chelsea USSF Academy in the final of the Under-19 tournament, sponsored by Metro PCS.
The Dallas Cup is the oldest international youth football tournament in the US with the first competition in 1980.
It was founded by the Texas Longhorns Soccer Club and since its inception, it has played host to 100 countries and six continents.
