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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THIS year’s edition of the Dumisani Foundation Football League starts on Saturday with all the four boys as well as the two girls teams in action at Gifford High School.
Arthur Mpuli, the league’s co-ordinator said they were ready for the start of this year’s league with last year’s champions Mtshabezi, Gifford, Entumbane and Milton the boys teams. For the girls, Mtshabezi and Entumbane are the teams with two to play each other on the day as well.
“Things are going according to plan for the fourth edition of the Dumisani Foundation games. First round games will take place at Gifford High School on 10 March. Holders Mtshabezi, runners up Milton, former champions Gifford and Entumbane will battle it out in the boys section while the girls will feature Entumbane and Mtshabezi,’’ Mpuli said.
Second round matches will be played in May before the finals take place at Mtshabezi in the presence of sponsor, United Kingdom-based Dumisani Ndlovu.
“The second round will be played in played in May. The finals are on 4 August at Mtshabezi. The sponsor Dumisani Ndlovu will be bringing a big contingent from the Diaspora including his former students from the UK,’’ said Mpuli.
Last year’s final tournament took place at Milton High School. Mtshabezi defeated Milton 5-4 on penalties after the match had ended 0-0 in normal time. Gifford, winners of the tournament in 2015 and 2016 took third spot in a round robin which involved Entumbane and Donkwe-Donkwe. Dlamini of Tsholotsho, who were meant to be part of the round robin to determine the third-placed school, did not turn up.
In what had been meant to be first for the tournament, Mtshabezi girls were supposed to take on their Entumbane counterparts but the match did not happen since the Bulawayo school did not bring their team.
In the end, Mtshabezi ended up playing a select side made up wives of some of the sponsors of the event.
Another exhibition match saw friends of Ndlovu who are based overseas take on local based old timers with a 2-0 victory for those domiciled in Zimbabwe.
Trophies as well as medals given out on the day were donated by Ezimtech, a company owned by Nkosinathi Zvimba, a Zimbabwean based in the UK as well as from Souvlaki Restaurant and Bar, run by another local based in England, Nkosiyazi Maphenduka and his partner Elena Demetriou.
Ndlovu, a University of Zimbabwe trained UK-based English teacher Ndlovu learnt at Gifford as well as Mtshabezi and went on to teach at Entumbane for four years prior to heading off to UK in 2000.
While Ndlovu spends the bulk of the time in the UK, local based volunteers of the Foundation, Mpuli, Gibson Mpala and Juliet Magwali ensure that the tournament runs efficiently.-@Mdawini_29
Online Reporter