Only the two finalists will walk away with full playing kits at the inaugural LM Auctioneers Zaka Girls Festival, with organisers confirming that all eight participating teams will receive souvenir T-shirts as the tournament makes its debut.
The festival will be held on October 24 at St Joseph High School in Jerera, with the souvenir T-shirts now ready for collection by the participating teams.
The competing schools are St Joseph High, Mutsambwa High, Magura High, Mutimwi High, Chimbwembwe High, Rudhanda High, Dzoro High and Maningi Youth Soccer Academy. St Joseph High and Mutsambwa High have been seeded for the tournament.
LM Auctioneers managing director Lewis Muzhara said the initiative is aimed at ensuring every participant leaves with a lasting memory of the inaugural event.
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"We want to create a tournament to remember. That's why every player will get a t-shirt they can wear and always cherish about this day," Muzhara told NewsDay Sport.
"The souvenir t-shirts for every team and technical are out to be collected. We have cut kits for every team because it won't benefit players much. So only the top two finalists will get full kits to use either in the finals or later on," he added.
Beyond the football action, Muzhara said the festival is designed to empower girls from rural communities by giving them a platform to showcase their talent while addressing social issues affecting young women.
"This is the first edition to bring together schools exclusively from Zaka District. We want to give our rural girls a platform to showcase talent and also talk about issues affecting them," he said.
The tournament will be played under the theme, "No to Drugs, Mental Health Has No Boundaries." It is an Under-21 competition open to girls born in 2005 or later and will also feature educational sessions on mental health, substance abuse and reproductive health alongside the football matches.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each pool progressing to the semi-finals before the winners contest the final. There will be no third-place play-off.
Muzhara said the event would also serve as a talent identification platform for promising young footballers.
"We will invite ZIFA, the Women's Premier Soccer League, Eastern Region and national team coaches. We want scouts to come and identify talent from Zaka," he said.
The champions will receive a trophy and 25 gold medals, while the runners-up will take home a trophy and 25 silver medals.
Individual accolades will also be presented for Top Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, Best Defender, Best Midfielder, Young Player and Player of the Tournament.
Invitations have also been extended to officials from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the ZIFA Development Committee, as well as coaches from the senior, Under-20 and Under-17 women's national teams.
