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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League yesterday said the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-finals to be held at Barbourfields Stadium on 31 August and 1 September will mark the resumption of the league.
The semi-finals which will be screened live on Supersport will see FC Platinum taking on Monomotapa on Saturday with Dynamos locking horns with Shabanie Mine the following day.
The four teams are all vying for the $120 000 winners’ cheque.
In the last month, the domestic Premiership programme was affected by the national team’s participation in the Cosafa Castle Cup in Zambia and the African Nations Championships.
Speaking from Harare yesterday, Castle Lager Premiership chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they will not have midweek matches after the weekend’s Zambia-Zimbabwe final Chan qualifying leg.
“The league programme will resume next weekend with the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-finals. Considering that the national team is away, we are not sure of their travelling plans and we have decided not to have midweek matches to allow those on national duty time to travel back to their respective clubs. After that, we hope to have a flawless programme,” Ndebele said.
Shabanie Mine were the first to book a BancABC last four berth when they knocked out Chicken Inn at Mandava Stadium with a 2-0 win.
FC Platinum then booted Bulawayo giants Highlanders out of the competition when they won 3-1 on penalties at Mucheke Stadium in
Masvingo on 29 June while Monomotapa stormed into the semi-finals of the Sup8r Cup with a 1-0 win over former BancABC champions Motor Action.
Dynamos beat Buffaloes 2-0 in the quarter-finals.
For the 2013 edition, the financial institution has partnered with five other companies — LED Travel and Tours, Sakunda Petroleum, Topics Stores, Arenel and Rockshade to make the competition bigger and better.
Runners-up will walk away with $50 000 with the losing semi-finalists getting $20 000 while quarter-finalists take home $12 000 each.
It is the $120 000 set aside for the winners that will motivate teams to fight hard to reach the finals.
The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League winners will get $70 000 so teams would rather win the BancABC Sup8r Cup.
Online Reporter