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GIFFORD High School is ready to host the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province’s Copa Coca-Cola Boys Under-16 and Girls Under-17 soccer finals on Friday.Each category will have six teams battling for the honour to represent the City of Kings at the finals to be played in Harare next month.
Once the powerhouse in boys’ soccer in Bulawayo, Mzilikazi High School will compete against Tennyson Hlabangana representing Imbizo District, Magwegwe, Pumula, Milton and the hosts Gifford for the ticket to the finals.
Fierce competition is expected, with Mzilikazi who churned out stars like Peter Ndlovu, Belgium-based Vusa Nyoni, Johannes Ngodzo and Esrom Nyandoro, hoping to restore lost glory. However, they have to battle it out with Gifford who are proving to be good at these junior tournaments of late.
Magwegwe will also not be pushovers, the same for Pumula, Tennyson Hlabangana and Milton.
“Everything is set for the tournament and with Bulawayo being considered as the hub of football that has seen the city producing some of the country’s best players and maintaining a vibrant junior policy in the country. I am confident that we will see good competition.
Actually it is the aim of the province to continue with the good trend and hopefully Bulawayo’s representatives will win the national tournament,” said Collet Murombo, Gifford’s sports director.
The girls’ category has Montrose, Sobukhazi, Induna, Magwegwe, Inyanda and Masotsha.
Delta Beverages through its Coca-Cola brand has put $250,000 up from last year’s $230,000 for the national secondary schools football fiesta.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter