The draw for the Zifa Munhumutapa Cup Round of 16 for both men and women’s teams is on tomorrow as the remaining teams are set to discover their next opponents for the country’s richest knockout competition.
In the men's category, the Round of 32 produced some major upsets which saw eight Premier league teams including two traditional giants Dynamos and Highlanders being booted out by lower division sides.
Dynamos crashed out at the hands of Hwange while Blackrock got the Highlanders scalp.
But there was no such a problem for another traditional Caps United who smashed Division Two side Scottland U19 to book their place in the Round of 16.
The Green Machine, who are looking for their first silverware since 2016, will be joined in the draw by the league rivals Scottland, Hardrock, Triangle, Manica Diamonds, Herentals, Hunters, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Bulawayo Chiefs and FC Platinum.
The narrative surrounding the remaining top-flight contenders carries an edge of desperation. Interestingly, five of those league teams remaining in the competition are in the bottom half of the log standings, with four of them fighting relegation. Their presence alongside intrepid lower-tier survivors, underlines the unpredictable nature of cup football.
The other teams that will be entering the draw are Banket Mine, Chilli, Jordan and the Ngezi U19 side.
At stake is not merely the Cup amd bragging rights, but an immense financial reward and a ticket to continental football.
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The winner of this inaugural competition will get a prize money of $1 million.
In addition, the winning team will represent the country in next year's CAF Confederations Cup. That ticket has previously been reserved for winners of the Chibuku Super Cup, elevating the newly established tournament into the pinnacle of the domestic calendar.
Meanwhile, the draw for the women's teams will also be conducted.
Unlike in the men's category, there were no major upsets in the previous round as most premier league teams sailed through.
Order prevailed across the fixtures, setting up a heavyweight set of ties in the next phase.
Reigning league champions Herentals Queens will be joined by their academy side Herentals U19, alongside other giants like Black Rhinos Queens, Chapungu, Hardrock Queens and Scottland Queens.
