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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
ALL is set for the Commander Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Charities soccer match between Highlanders and Black Rhinos at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow. The charity game which has prizemoney of $10 000 will see the winners pocketing $6 000 and medals with the losers taking home $4 000.
Addressing journalists at Headquarters One Brigade in Bulawayo, Major General Trust Mugoba said soccer enthusiasts should come in their numbers for the entertainment field day and support the worthy cause.
“Everything is set for the game and it will be a good family day for everyone. There will be entertainment and curtain-raisers before the main match. This is the first time that we are having a charity match here in Bulawayo and this being the City of Kings we hope the response from people will be amazing on Sunday,” said Mugoba.
He said they are targeting to raise at least $500 000 from all the fundraising activities that they are going to hold this year for the ZNA charities.
The beneficiaries for the ZNA charities are Tsanga Lodge Convalescent Centre which is in the Eastern Highlands of Nyanga, Army Widows and Orphans Benevolent Fund which caters for financial needs of widows, widowers and orphans of deceased members.
There is also the ZNA Benevolent Fund which aims at boosting troops’ morale internally or externally, ZNA Schools Welfare Trust Fund which caters for the various schools that fall under the military institution and finally ZNA Patients Welfare Fund which offers assistance and goodies to members admitted in hospitals and those ill at home.
Mugoba is confident that tomorrow’s encounter will raise at least $20 000.
Mugoba said after playing host to a successful charity match in March before the start of the season where Caps United beat Black Rhinos, they saw it proper to spread the programme and engage Bosso for a similar cause.
The army got $12 000 from the Caps United-Black Rhinos match.
“So far we have managed to raise $150 000 from the Commander’s Charities Ball we held in Harare early this year and $12 000 from the Black Rhinos-Caps United charity match. The people of Bulawayo have in the past watched charity matches and we value the support that they are going to give to the Commander ZNA Charities match on Sunday.
“We are also grateful to the PSL who embraced the idea and we would like to thank the Highlanders executive who when we approached had to forgo their practice to enhance their standings on the log to be involved in charity. It is an honour to have Highlanders agreeing to be part of this worthy cause,” said Mugoba.
Apart from raising funds for charity and getting prizemoney, tomorrow’s encounter presents Highlanders and Black Rhinos an opportunity to fine tune their squads ahead of midweek Premiership encounters.
Black Rhinos coach Arthur Tutani said they are ready to charge at Bosso and forget about the nightmarish afternoon they had in their last visit to Barbourfields where they lost 3-1 to Highlanders.
The last time the army side was here was under the tutelage of Nesbert Saruchera who has since been replaced by Tutani.
“This is an important game in that we are doing charity work and charity begins at home. We want to win this game as well as work on our self-confidence before the start of league matches. People should expect a good game as we are going to give Highlanders a good run for their money,” Tutani said.
Brighton Chandisaita, Britto Gwere and Lazarus Muhoni are some of the veteran players expected to lead Black Rhinos tomorrow.
Highlanders are likely to field their strong squad as they prepare for their derby against Chicken Inn on Wednesday.
Some of the players to watch tomorrow include Dumisani “Fazo” Ndlovu, Njabulo “Tshiki” Ncube, Simon “Yola” Munawa, Mthulisi Maphosa and Hillary Madzivanyika.
The guest of honour for the match is the Commander of the ZNA Phillip Valerio Sibanda.
Online Reporter