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PREMIERSHIP champions Dynamos will meet with Black Rhinos who held them in the league at the weekend again next weekend when the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup kicks off around the country with all the league teams battling for the $75,000 prize money for the team which will lift the Cup which was reintroduced this year after a long lay off.
Yesterday, the 16-team tournament was launched and a draw conducted in the capital and the Cup is being sponsored to the tune of $500,000 by Delta Beverages under their Chibuku brand.
The winner will walk away with $75,000 while the losing finalists will pocket $50,000. The losing semi finalists will each get $25,000 while the losing quarter finals teams will receive $20,000. Teams that will exit the Cup in the first round which has been slated for the weekend of August 15 to 17 will each get $15,000.
The Premier Soccer League are expected to announce the venues for the first round matches today as well as the breakdown for prize money of other individual awards.
After the first round of matches another draw would be conducted again.
The top eight teams as of week 15, the halfway mark of the Premiership were seeded thus Highlanders, ZPC Kariba, Dynamos, Caps United, Hwange, Buffaloes, FC Platinum and How Mine.
The remaining bottom eight went into the hat. The first team to be picked out of the hat by Chibuku General Manager Mark Mudimbu, Shabanie automatically was paired with Highlanders which was the top team at the halfway stage of the Premiership. It was the same order until the team last to be picked Chicken Inn was paired with the eight placed team How Mine.
The draw didn’t really have any surprises and all the teams except for the Bulawayo derby pitting How Mine versus Chicken Inn got fair opposition.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga who was the guest of honour and was represented by Sports Promotion and Development Officer Regis Chabata hailed the corporate world such as Delta Corporation for complementing government efforts in transforming the sport sector.
“I would like to salute Delta Corporation for remaining one of the strongest investors in our local football, a development that has seen a lot of talent being nurtured for domestic and international markets. This kind of support is what is needed for our young generations to see a reason to take up sport and football in particular as a means for earning a decent living.
“My ministry welcomes the role played by members of the corporate world such as Delta Corporation in complementing government efforts in transforming the sport sector into a vibrant industry that ensures socio economic development for talented sports persons. he said.
Full Draw
Highlanders v Shabanie; ZPC Kariba v Harare City; Dynamos v Black Rhinos; CAPS United v Chapungu; Hwange v Triangle; Buffaloes v Chiredzi; FC Platinum v Bantu Rovers; How Mine v Chicken Inn.
derick.khumalo