Chidyamakono copa feat hailed

. Fungai Muderere
ZIMBABWE Womenaï¿½ï¿½s Football League vice-chairman Samukeliso Silengane has hailed Copa Coca-Cola girlsaï¿½ï¿½ schools soccer team five-time champions Chidyamakono High on their historic achievement in the annual tournament.

Under the guidance of Yeukai Chiruvu, Chidyamakono clinched their fifth consecutive Copa Coca-Cola title after edging Mamunyadza 1-0 in a final match that was played at a packed Trojan Mine Stadium in Bindura.

Exciting Beatrice Machona scored the solitary goal of the match that saw the Masvingo-based school write its own Copa Coca-Cola history after the introduction of the girls contest in 2011.

aï¿½?This is not a mean achievement for Chidyamakono. It shows that they have been working hard and there is a lot of talent in their area. We salute them for the job well done and we hope they will continue to get a chance to show their best,aï¿½? said Silengane.

She added: aï¿½?We hope we could get more of such particular tournaments which I believe will positively impact on the development of womenaï¿½ï¿½s football in Zimbabwe. We are grateful to Coca-Cola for sponsoring such a particular tournament and we are happy they did not segregate the girl child.aï¿½?

Matabeleland South representatives in the girlsaï¿½ï¿½ category Tongwe High School had an impressive debut in the premier national schoolsaï¿½ï¿½ tournament.

Tongwe, participating for the first time in the national finals, finished in the top eight after being ejected by Vainona High of Harare 3-0 in a quarter-final penalty shootout. Their game had ended 1-1 after regulation time.

The Beitbridge sideaï¿½ï¿½s performance at the tournament had two of its girls selected for the Copa Coca-Cola dream team.

Striker Erita Zvenyika and midfielder Nokuzola Ncubeaï¿½ï¿½s performance at group stage saw them being voted into the tournamentaï¿½ï¿½s best 20 players.

Mpopoma High School, who were carrying Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s hopes in the girls section, found the going tough as they failed to go beyond the group stages.

Beitbridge-based Tongwe High School reached the quarter stage in the girlsaï¿½ï¿½ category. It was a sad story for Somvubu and Tohwe who represented Matabeleland North in the boys and girlsaï¿½ï¿½ competitions respectively. The two schools failed to go beyond the group stages.

Oscar Divhani-Ndou, Tongweaï¿½ï¿½s gaffer, heaped praises on the girls, saying they will strive to maintain their dominance in Matabeleland South.

aï¿½?Iaï¿½ï¿½m happy with the girlsaï¿½ï¿½ performance in their first ever national finals.

aï¿½?The fact that we managed to get to the quarter-finals and two of our girls were selected for the dream team, shows that we really put a good fight.

aï¿½?When we came here, we told ourselves that we just want to enjoy and make the province happy. Iaï¿½ï¿½m sure Matabeleland South people are really proud of us,aï¿½? said Divhani-Ndou.

For reaching the quarter-finals, Tongwe won themselves a branded Copa Coca-Cola kit and they also got a prize money of $750.

Matabeleland South boysaï¿½ï¿½ representatives Mzingwane High also lost 1-5 in the quarter-finals to losing finalists Pfupajena of Chegutu.

Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s Lobengula High got the Fair Play award in the boysaï¿½ï¿½ category. The award had a prize money of $500 and Lobengula were booted out by Gutu High 0-1 in the quarter-finals.

Mpopoma High, who were carrying Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s hopes in the girlsaï¿½ï¿½ section, found the going tough, as they failed to go beyond the group stages.

It was a sad story for Somvubu and Tohwe, the Matabeleland North boysaï¿½ï¿½ and girlsaï¿½ï¿½ representatives, as they also failed to go past the group stages.