Bob Super Cup expanded

The competition, launched last year to commemorate President Robert Mugabe’s birthday in February, will this year feature defending champions and Premiership kings Dynamos, league runners-up FC Platinum, third-placed Motor Action and Hwange who came finished fourth in the 2011 season.
The four sides are also representing Zimbabwe in the Caf Champions League and the Confederation Cup.
Last year’s Bob Super Cup was sponsored to the tune of US$40 000 and it featured Premiership sides Dynamos and CAPS United.
Dynamos beat CAPS United 3-2 and received US$25 000 while the latter side got US$15 000.
Both teams went on to receive US$30 000 each from President Mugabe for participating in that match.
However, this year the organisers have revealed that they want to raise the stakes to a whooping US$1 million for the four-team tournament.
Stan Kasukuwere, the tournament’s co-ordinator, yesterday revealed that they had been impressed by the success story of the Bob at 87 Cup last year, which set the tone for an exciting season after DeMbare and Makepepeke met to dish out a classic derby showdown.
Kasukukwere said in expanding it to a four-team event this year, they had also decided to take the tournament to other centres with the Harare businessman revealing that the semi-finals would be staged in Bulawayo and Mutare.
“We are so grateful to all the sponsors who came on board and helped make the Bob at 87 Cup the huge success story that it was last year.
“It was once again a clear demonstration of how much our football can be exciting when the corporate world partners with the country’s biggest sport.
“This year, we have decided to expand it to a four-team tournament and the selection criteria for the participating teams were the top four on the PSL log table at the end of the 2011 season.
“This means that the top team in the league will play the side which finished fourth and this will see Dynamos takingon Hwange at Barbourfields while FC Platinum will lock horns with Motor Action at Sakubva.
“By virtue of being first and second, Dynamos and FC Platinum are the seeded teams in the tournament and we hope all the four teams in this year’s competition will put up the kind of splendid show that we saw between CAPS United and Dynamos last year.
“The final will then be played at Rufaro but we will meet with the PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele over the dates of the semi-finals and the final,” Kasukuwere said.
The former Dynamos secretary revealed that they are aiming at raising the sponsorship package to US$1 million.
“We are still raising the money and we are trying to raise US$1 million. We want the competition to be bigger and compete with the likes of the Mbada Diamond Cup because this is an important day for the nation.
“Last year, we announced the prize money the day before the final match but what we are expecting for this year is a figure of US$1 million which should be befitting for a tournament of such magnitude.
“Last year’s event was a success but was organised within a short space of time. But this year, we want to make it more exciting and we are calling on the corporate world to come on board,” Kasukuwere said.