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Harare Bureau
ORGANISERS of the Mbada Diamonds Cup have confirmed that the final of this year’s tournament featuring Bulawayo giants Highlanders and newboys How Mine will be held at Barbourfields on 30 November. This is the first time the final of this tournament will be played outside Harare after the first two editions, won by Dynamos, were hosted at the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro.
Mbada Diamonds Cup chairman Tafadzwa Chiremba yesterday said it was his committee’s thrust to spread the game around the country from the first leg matches up to the finals.
“Following a meeting of the competition organising committee comprising officials from Mbada Diamonds and PSL, it was agreed that the final be played at Barbourfields in Bulawayo.
“Fans from all corners of the country have witnessed some high quality football in this tournament and we look forward to an exciting finish,” said Chiremba.
The Mbada Diamonds Cup matches have been hosted at various venues this year including Gweru, which had no Premiership football. The games have also been played as far afield as Nyamhunga, Pelandaba, Trojan Mine, Chishamiso and Torwood in the last two editions.
Dynamos beat Monomotapa 2-0 in last year’s final at Rufaro but the Harare giants disappointed this year when they fell at the quarter-finals stage after losing to new boys How Mine.
The Premiership debutantes have enjoyed a fairy-tale run as they also went on to claim the scalp of another giant Caps United in the semi-finals last Sunday at the National Sports Stadium with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory to ensure an all-Bulawayo teams final against Highlanders.
Bosso stormed into the finals of this tournament for the first time on Saturday when they edged Harare City 5-3 in a penalty shootout at Mandava after the teams had settled for a 2-2 draw.
The Mbada Diamonds Cup final will bring the curtain down on the 2013 season, a week after the completion of the league championship.
Winners of this tournament will get a handsome cheque of $130 000 while losing finalists are guaranteed $90 000.
How Mine, who are likely to participate in the Caf Confederation Cup on the Mbada Diamonds Cup ticket, have also been assured a $110 000 subsidy to cater for uniforms, accommodation, tracksuits and airfares. All the 16 Premiership teams that took part in the Mbada Diamond Cup tournament are guaranteed financial rewards, which makes the Mbada Diamonds Cup the biggest tournament on the domestic scene in terms of sponsorship and participation.
The teams that lost at the first hurdle got $15 000 each while those that reached the last eight were given $30 000.
Caps United and Harare City, who fell at the semi-final stage, received $45 000 each for their efforts.
There were also individual prizes for outstanding players from the first round.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter