BULAWAYO Metropolitan Province is scheduled to host the country’s biggest schools football tournament, the 27th edition of the Copa Coca-Cola national finals for the Under-16 boys and Under-17 girls.
BY MAMELO NKOMO
The Delta Beverages-sponsored tournament under the Coca-Cola brand will be hosted by Gifford High School on July 18 and 19.
National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) head-in-charge of football Albert Mucheka said: “Our intention is to secure Barbourfields Stadium so that our Under-16 boys utilise it. For the girls, we want to make use of the schools around the stadium.
“We are hoping to secure at least eight pitches, that is four for the girls and the other four for the boys.”
Gifford qualifies by virtue of being hosts while Chemhanza High School of Mashonaland East and Chidyamakono of Masvingo are in for being last year’s winners in the Under-16 boys’ and Under-17 girls’ finals respectively.
The teams are expected to arrive in Bulawayo on July 17 for the two-day competition.
“Vetting will be done at Gifford upon the arrival of the schools on July 17. The boys will be hosted at Gifford and for the girls the venue is yet to be confirmed,” Mucheka said.
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“The teams will be divided into four groups of three teams and we aim to play all the group games, quarter and semi-finals on Saturday so that Sunday becomes a day set for finals.”
Winners of the tournament will walk away with $6 500 for the boys and $3 000 for the girls.
A dream team in both the girls’ and the boys’ categories will be selected after the finals to compete in the Confederations of School Sport Association of Southern Africa in Bulawayo towards the end of August.
The 27th edition of the Copa Coca-Cola will be launched at Chidyamakono in Masvingo Province on May 29.
Competitions for district and provincial levels are set to be held at various schools around the country in preparation for the national finals.
The Copa Coca-Cola edition has a history of producing and nurturing great stars who have excelled nationally and internationally.
Stars include legend Peter Ndlovu a product of Mzilikazi High School, Benjani Mwaruwari, Vusa Nyoni, Johannes Ngodzo and Esrom Nyandoro.
