Chronicle EditorInnocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
EIGHT teams will tomorrow battle it out in the quarter finals of Zimbabwe’s oldest amateur soccer tournament, the Townshend and Butcher Tournament at Barbourfields outside grounds.
The 60 year old tournament is a competition for teams in the Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa) league.
The teams were thrown into the hat for the quarter finals on Thursday at Townshend and Butcher in a draw conducted by the sponsors’ Peter Leondios.
The toast of this round of the tournament is the potentially explosive encounter between Anolle Castings and Ntabazinduna Flats-based Golden Hotspurs.
Anolle Casting head coach, Jonas Tembo, described the draw as fair and was confident going into the fixture.
His opposite number, Golden Hotspurs player-manager, Passmore Bangu, also welcomed the draw and said his team was ready for any team.
“It is a tough draw, but if you are to win such competitions you have to beat the best teams so we are confident of victory come Sunday,” said Bangu.
In another mouthwatering fixture, Madamara and Mpilo meet in a Mzilikazi derby that should provided thrills and spills as both sides fight for local supremacy.
Bafa chairman, Chris Mtungwazi said the league expected top drawer encounters in the quarter finals. He said all eight teams deserved to be in the quarter finals after quality performances in the first round.
“We hope to see more competitive football, we encourage the teams to maintain discipline and let the football do the talking.
“The sponsors have pledged bigger prizes for this year’s tournament, which we will unveil in due course and this should motivate the teams,” said Mtungwazi.
This year teams celebrate 60 years of partnership between Bafa and Townshend and Butcher.
Fixtures
Anolle Casting v Golden Hotspurs; Safeguard v United FC; Madamara v Mpilo; Rebels v Victory
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