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Lovemore Dube Sports Editor
CITY soccer giants Highlanders were drawn against Triangle in the first round of the Mbada Holdings Diamonds Cup in Harare yesterday afternoon.The tournament which carries a first prize of $130 000 plus $110 000 subsidy to the winner to fund their participation in the Caf Confederation Cup is now the official Football Association Cup. Clubs that have done well in the past two editions have represented the country in the African club second tier competition.
The sponsors have heavily boosted the tournament by increasing prize money for the winners to a whopping $130 000 making it the richest competition in the land. Last year winners pocketed $70 000 and with the sponsors keen to maintain the competition as the plug cup tournament of the year, it was only fair that they beat the $120 000 for the BancABC Sup8r Cup winners.
Highlanders vice-chairman Mgcini Mpofu who attended the event with manager Willard Khumalo and chairman Peter Dube who was putting on the PSL vice-chairman cap, described the draw as fair.
“It’s a fair draw and we hope to do better than in previous seasons,” said Mpofu of the club that is known to have its name inscribed in almost every tournament contested for since 1980.
After two competitions Highlanders are yet to impress in the competition despite on two occasions starting as one of the favourites.
Gishon Ntini, the Triangle coach, described the draw as good for his team. He said what made it more exciting was the fact that they were playing in a PSL tournament for the first time.
“It is good for us, we are under no pressure at all. We are playing for the first time perhaps the pressure is on Highlanders, we are happy to be facing them,” said Ntini of the team that beat his side 2-0 in their first Castle Lager Premier League meeting.
Defending champions Dynamos were paired with Tripple B in a typical David versus Goliath affair. The Beitbridge team is fighting for survival and secretary Gibby Makhanda believes it’s anyone’s game.
“Its football such things happen. We are prepared to play them, they are a PSL team just like us and we are eager to win and progress to the next stage. We are playing in the same league and we still have another match with them so it’s anybody’s game,” said Makhanda.
Dynamos boss Kenny Mubaiwa said they were looking forward to playing the lowly team on 28 September when the tournament gets under way.
How Mine who occupy eighth spot on the log were lucky to be seeded. They were drawn with Black Rhinos while Chicken Inn will clash with Shabanie Mine in a repeat of the Charity Shield meeting in which the Gamecocks prevailed.
Luke Masomere’s army was to win in the league fixture the following week. Both teams were shocked by the draw with Chicken Inn’s Mlungisi Moyo saying they would start as underdogs given that they have twice lost to the same opponent.
“We have lost two times to them, we have a psychological disadvantage, we hope to put that aside and sail through,” said Moyo.
Masomere said at this stage of the competition it was anybody’s game.
“It’s towards the end of the season all the teams are fighting for what is there be it league or cup games. While it might look a fair draw we will have to fight,” said Masomere whose side unlike Chicken Inn were not seeded among the top eight.
Fourth placed Caps United will play Motor Action in the first round while Hwange’s meet FC Platinum. Mbada Holdings corporate affairs manager George Manyaya described soccer as a viable vehicle for economic growth.
“Soccer has become a viable stimulus for economic growth. It holds good potential for growth.
“As Mbada Holdings we note mineral resources belong to the people hence our thrust to give back, we want to change lives of people. This being the third edition we want it to be bigger and better and we want it to bring more excitement,” said Manyaya.
Kennedy Ndebele the chief executive of the Premier Soccer League promised Mbada that they would work to improve the running of the competition.
He said they were expecting the Davids of Zimbabwe football to blow away the Goliaths of the game. He said this year’s cup final would be the last match of the season.
He took the opportunity to congratulate the mother body Zifa for the Warriors’ Chan qualification.
“We would like to congratulate Zifa and PSL Warriors for qualifying for the Chan finals,” said Ndebele.
He said this year’s competition would reach a wider audience as both ZBC and SuperSport would screen the games. Ndebele said they had set aside four weekends for the tournament in which not even friendly matches would be entertained.
This year’s runners-up will take home $90 000, semi-finalists $45 000, quarter-finalists $30 000 with first round losers getting $15 000.
There were calls to reduce gate charges to $1 per head since the sponsors would cater for the teams’ transport, accommodation and food. Apart from that players will earn $100 participation fees with the seven-member technical department having each member pocketing $150.
The top goalscorer will receive $1 000 like the best goalkeeper of the tournament with the most outstanding player guaranteed $1 500.
The most disciplined team is assured of $1 000 and medals. It was also revealed that clubs would be given 30 tracksuits, a similar number of warm up jerseys and 30 pairs of playing kit each.
The draw for the other rounds of the tournament would be conducted at every stage of the competition. PSL boss Twine Phiri said the increase in sponsorship was a sure indication of the corporate sector’s confidence in the league.
“This is a sure sign of the PSL’s confidence in us as the league and a challenge to continue to run it professionally,” said Phiri.
The chairman of the tournament Tafadzwa Chiremba described yesterday’s proceedings as smooth and gamely.
The draw
Dynamos v Tripple B; Harare City v Monomotapa; Highlanders v Triangle; Chicken Inn v Shabanie Mine; Buffaloes v Black Mambas; FC Platinum v Hwange; How Mine (All matches set for the weekend of 28-29 September).
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