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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE winners of the $500,000 Chibuku Super Cup final between FC Platinum and Harare City on Sunday will represent Zimbabwe in the next Caf Confederation Cup competition.
The announcement will certainly add spice to the final, set for Mandava Stadium, as the two teams will now battle it out for the prize money as well as the African sojourn ticket.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed to Chronicle Sport that winners of the 16-team tournament will have their names forwarded to Caf for registration in the Confederation Cup competition.
“We have engaged our affiliate, the PSL regards coming up with the representatives for the two Caf club competitions, the Champions League and the Confederation Cup. Since we didn’t have an FA Cup this year, those that will win the cup that featured all the 16 teams will go on to represent Zimbabwe,” said the Zifa head of secretariat yesterday.
The registration deadline for submission of country representatives has been set for November 30.
“This year it’s looking good because the league will end before the registration deadline for our represen tatives. We also have the final of the Chibuku Super Cup this weekend,” said Mashingaidze.
FC Platinum have had some experience in Africa following their participation in the Champions League in 2012 under Rahman Gumbo but their run was cut short after a 3-0 mauling by Sudanese giants El Merreikh in Sudan, bowing out on a 5-2 aggregate score.
Harare City, whose funders, the City of Harare were earlier this year reportedly close to selling the franchise after some councillors questioned the wisdom of funding a football team at the expense of service delivery, might opt against going to Africa unless they find a guarantor.
The PSL is set to end next weekend with new boys ZPC Kariba and perennial Champions League campaigners Dynamos involved in a two-horse race.
Saul Chaminuka, the ZPC Kariba coach, has already publicly declared that he wants to try his luck in the African jungles.
They remain firm favourites to land the Premiership title next weekend although the Glamour boys can still make a late dramatic dash to the crown on the last day. Chairman Kenny Mubaiwa told Chronicle Sport that they haven’t thrown in the towel as yet but conceded that their destiny was no longer in their hands.
Dynamos remain the most successful local team after reaching the Champions League final in 1998 and were semi-finalists in 2008.
Their good run on the African continent saw Zimbabwe being awarded four slots, two in the Champions League and an equal number for the Confederation Cup but poor runs since then saw Caf reducing those slots to two, one for each competition.
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