Mzilikazi High School has seven Under-16 boys retained from last year’s team that took them to the national Copa Coca-Cola finals in Harare.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
The four-time national champions, who won the inaugural edition of the competition in 1989, take part in the provincial finals at Gifford High on Friday and are confident that with the seven players retained from last year’s team, they will defend the provincial championship.
Team manager Phathisani Masango yesterday said they hoped to defend the championships and play in the national finals which are this year being hosted by Bulawayo.
“We have seven players who are part of the team that went to Harare last year and we are promising that we will defend the provincial championship at Gifford on Friday,” Masango said.
“We are training twice daily during the week. We have taken part in district competitions and also played friendly matches against Sobukhazi High and Msitheli High. Our preparations have been good and we are ready to roll.”
The seven players from last year’s team that lost in the semi-finals in Harare are mainly from Bantu Rovers and Highlanders juniors.
They include Gift Lunga Jnr, Andrew Mbeba, Nkosilathi Dlamini and Nigel Mangungwe (all Bantu Rovers), Devine Khumalo and Tatenda Marisoni of Highlanders and goalkeeper Nkosilathi Dlamini of Real Rovers.
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Khumalo is due to leave for Lindlow, Germany, next month for a Copa Coca-Cola training camp.
Masango said Bulawayo was due for a provincial meeting yesterday afternoon ahead of the finals at Gifford on Friday.
Mzilikazi High retained the Arenel Under-17 provincial soccer championship after beating Entumbane High 2-0 in the final last week at Gifford under coach Albert Tarwireyi.
The Under-16 team, targeting to cause upsets in the Copa Coca-Cola provincial finals on Friday, is coached by Mgcini Ncube, who is assisted by Tarwireyi.
Magwegwe are the defending Bulawayo provincial champions in the Under-17 girls.
Mzilikazi is known to be the hub of Bulawayo football and is known for producing great players like the legendary Peter Ndlovu, Benjamin Nkonjera, Esrom Nyandoro, Vusa Nyoni, Johannes Ngodzo and South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns’ Kudakwashe Mahachi.
The finals of this year’s Copa Coca-Cola will be hosted by Gifford for the boys and Emganwini for the Under-17 girls from July 17 to 19. The country’s nine other provinces will also be holding their finals on Friday.
