adminThis was a fitting occasion for Sam Muzvanyi, a 58-year-old Mutare Bottling Company senior executive who has been with Coca-Cola for 40 years and has watched all the 25 finals to date. Sam had the honour of cutting the cake with the assistance of Mona Karingi, Coca-Cola senior franchise brand manager.
The closing ceremony in Sakubva Stadium where everyone in the stadium had a bite of a cake fit to feed 7 000 people was perhaps the biggest surprise for the fans who had braved the day to cheer on the teenage footballers.
But that was not all.
There was a near stampede when we released red balloons into the air as a sign that the celebrations were well and truly underway.
Children who were part of the crowd jostled onto the pitch to try and pop the balloons before they went airborne.
Others threw their shoes into the air in anticipation of popping the balloons.
In the end it was all laughter in the stadium and a small reminder of the feeling of being Crazy for Good.
“Today is a great day for Copa Coca-Cola . I have been around and seen it all from inception to date.
“I feel greatly honoured to be the one cutting the cake. It makes me look back with a big smile as memories of the then small tournament that has blossomed into a big one linger in my mind.
“I cherish the valuable history with Copa Coca-Cola’s development, the special relationship between the Coke system and the National Association of School Heads over the years’’. said Muzvanyi.
“My best tournament was in Hippo Valley when the hosts Hippo Valley beat Churchill in the final.
“It was the year budding star Harrington Shereni was noticed. He went on to play for Castle Premier Soccer League champions, Dynamos and the Zimbabwe national soccer team before going overseas.”
“I still remember the final at Gifford in Bulawayo. This was the final that unearthed Zimbabwe’s most capped star and legend, Peter Ndlovu.
“The then Vice President and national icon Dr Joshua Nkomo was the guest of honour.” added Muzvanyi.
This was indeed the Silver Jubilee Crazy for Good with the Copa Coca-Cola soccer tournament in Zimbabwe’s eastern border town.
And all three qualities were on show as we put the curtain down on of Mutare.
The bustling township of Sakubva was an oasis of sorts beginning Friday July 12 when 12 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams descended on Mutare to fight for the two championships and finally bring an end to a journey that had seen more than 2 000 high schools fall by the wayside.
Rich in alluvial diamonds, Mutare has become known as the ‘‘City of Diamonds’’ and it glittered throughout the weekend with raw talent being given a platform to shine.
Despite the Copa Coca-Cola finals running during a weekend that was bursting at the seams with club and national soccer team assignments, there was a huge turnout of spectators who wanted to a get a glimpse of the next football stars.
After all, this is a tournament that gave this Southern African nation its most prominent football stars in Peter Ndlovu and Alois Bunjira, to mention just a few.
It was also a weekend where history was made by the winners of the tournament in both boys’ and girls’ categories.
Chemanza High School won the boys’ 16 and under title with some breathtaking football, effectively becoming the first team from Mashonaland East province to do this in the history of the 25-year-old tournament.
In the girls’ Under-17 section little-known Chidyamakono High School wrote their own piece of history.
Hailing from the rural district of Chivi, the high school brushed aside last year’s runner-up heartache to depose two-time champions Vainona and lift the Under-7 Copa Coca-Cola girls’ title for the first time.
But what will linger on in the memories of those who witnessed this spectacle is the entertainment on offer throughout the weekend with the Coca Cola mascot and a team of youthful dancers keeping spectators at the edges of their seats.
Online Reporter