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Innocent Kurira , Sports Reporter
SOME Zifa Southern Region Division One coaches are convinced that the Wafa Wafa knockout competition will serve as the perfect dress rehearsal for the start of the league next month after a two-year suspension of football activities due to Covid-19.
The league is set to get underway on January 15 and the Zifa Southern Region board decided to stage the Wafa Wafa Cup to gauge their state of preparedness to hold competitive matches under the new Covid-19 standard operating procedures.
Arenel coach Kudzayi Mhandire said: “The cup is obviously very important in the sense that it has paved the way for the return of Division One football. To us coaches, we are using it to sample our squads ahead of the new season, which is going to be very different because never before have we been idle for this long. So, it’s a new territory for all of us.”
Arenel are set to face Indlovu Iyanyathela in the semi-finals of the tournament whose date is yet to be announced.
The other semi-final sees Bosso 90 taking on Hwange.
Bosso 90 assistant coach Siza Khoza said they had given their players a programme to follow during the festive season to ensure they are in good condition for the next game and the league kick-off.
“We want our boys to stay in shape. The competition is important because it gives us a reflection of what to expect next season. Our target is to win the competition,” said Khoza.
Mduduzi Mpofu, coach of Emakhandeni Pirates, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Arenel, said the Wafa Wafa competition gave them a good opportunity to assess their players ahead of the new season next year.
“As a new side in the Southern Region Division One league, it’s good that we have tasted the waters at this level.”
The final is set to be played on the weekend of January 7-9, a week before the league championship race kicks off on January 15.
Wafa Wafa semi-final fixtures
Hwange vs Bosso 90
Arenel vs Indlovu Iyanyathela
Online Reporter