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Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS FC won the inaugural Melusi “Mabaleka” Sibanda Under-18 tournament, beating Bantu Rovers 10-9 after penalty shootouts at Hartsfield Stadium on Saturday.
The top four clubs in the Zifa Bulawayo Province’s Under-18 Junior League – Bantu Rovers, Highlanders, Chicken Inn and Emakhandeni took part in the end of season tournament whose winners got a kit and trophy.
On their way to the final, Highlanders beat Emakhandeni 3-1, getting their goals from Gladman Bharibhari, Davin Fuzane and McCarthy Dube while their opponents got their consolation from Frank Sitsha.
Just like Bosso, Bantu Rovers were 3-1 victors over Chicken Inn with Junior Banda grabbing a brace for Tshintsha Guluva before Brendon “Mtshewa” Maseko scored to cancel Mengezi Dube’s first half goal for Gamecocks.
An epic battle in the final led to the game being decided through dreaded penalty shootouts which went into sudden death.
“Obviously we’re happy with winning the trophy and we believe that this is testimony that Highlanders do have a vibrant junior policy and those that came to watch can bear testimony to that.
“We applaud Mabaleka (Sibanda) for coming up with a noble idea of creating excitement for the youngsters through this competition,” said Dumaza Dube, Highlanders’ juniors coach.
Former Highlanders utility player Gift Lunga (junior) and Dan Ngwenya assisted Dube while Chipo Tsodzo and Rueben “Exe” Tsengwa were in charge of Bantu Rovers in the final.
Besides winning the tournament, Highlanders had two of their players claiming individual accolades with Donnet Fosho being voted Player of the Tournament while Prince Phiri went home with the Goalkeeper’s award.
Mkhululi Mthunzi, an official from the Zifa Bulawayo Province’s juniors’ desk heaped praises on Sibanda and individuals that supported the competition.
“As Zifa we’re very happy to see one of our sons making a sacrifice to plough back to the junior league where he came from. He’s who he is because of football and now he’s creating a platform for scouts to have a look at some of the promising youngsters from the city.
“Hopefully those that were here will take one or two players and groom them for topflight action,” said Mthunzi.
Former national team assistant coach Mkhuphali Masuku, Highlanders legends Douglas Mloyi and Zenzo Moyo, ZPC Kariba’s goalkeepers’ coach Tembo Chuma, Mandla “Lulu” Mpofu of Bantu Rovers, Simon “Doink” Sibanda, Bekithemba “Super” Ndlovu and ex-Young Warriors manager Eddie Chivero were among football personalities who attended the Mabaleka tournament.
Sibanda promised to make next year’s competition bigger and better.
“This is just the beginning of things to come in junior development. I’ve a passion for identifying and nurturing talent and that’s what inspires me. I’m grateful to Zifa who allowed me to stage this tournament and what will happen next year is that we will try to make the tournament bigger and better. My desire is to have this end of season competition running for more years to come,” he said.
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