adminSports Correspondent
THE Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final draw will be conducted on Tuesday with matches in the country’s premier knockout trophy set for this coming weekend. The eight remaining teams, Highlanders, How Mine, Black Rhinos, Triangle, Chiredzi, Caps United, FC Platinum and Harare City go into one pot for the draw as they battle it out in the $500 000 Cup.
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele confirmed that the draw would be held on Tuesday.
“We are going to hold the draw at 12.30pm at Warren Park One Beer hall and would like all soccer fans within the vicinity to be there to witness this crucial draw as they anticipate the opposition their favourite team is going to face in the next round,” said Ndebele, adding that the venues for the games and dates for the semi-finals and final would be announced soon after the draw.
While the initial draw saw the top eight teams, as of Week 15 being seeded and getting the chance to play at home, the quarter-finals will see all the teams going into one pot.
The competition is sponsored by Delta Beverages under their Chibuku brand to the tune of $500 000 with the winners set to walk away with $75 000 while the losing finalists will take home $50 000. The two losing semi-finalists will each pocket $25 000 while teams that get knocked out at the quarter-final stage will have $20 000 in the bank.
Those that have already been knocked out of the competition are assured of $15 000 apiece.
Highlanders managed to get the better of Shabanie Mine, which became the Bulawayo team’s first win at Gweru’s Ascot Stadium this year, thanks to a solitary strike by mid-season signing, Pasca Manhanga for a passage to the quarter-finals. How Mine knocked out city rivals, Chicken Inn, winning 1-0 after Wonder Sithole mined a gem of a goal to ensure the gold miners got another chance to battle their way through to the Chibuku Super Cup finals.
Despite having home advantage, Hwange fell to Lowveld side, Triangle after their game ended in a scoreless draw and the two had to be separated by the lottery, with the Biggie Zuze-coached side emerging 4-3 winners over the coal miners.
Relegation bound Chiredzi managed to progress through to the quarter-finals of the tournament after they dispatched Buffaloes 4-3, a result that shocked many as the Lowveld side had been struggling anchoring the PSL log standings by a paltry 11 points.
Army side, Rhinos managed to get the better of their fancied opponents Dynamos 1-0.
Online Reporter