adminFrom Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
HWANGE-BASED Highway Football Club were crowned champions of the inaugural Brigadier General Armstrong Paul Gunda Memorial Trophy after producing a brilliant performance to beat arch rivals Prison Eagles 2-0 in a match played before a big crowd at Chinotimba Stadium on Saturday.
The tournament which was bankrolled by Tatenda Safaris and the Gunda family saw all the 16 teams from the Zifa Matabeleland North Division Two league taking part from last month before the climax in the resort town over the weekend.
A minute of silence was held before the final in honour of national hero Brigadier Gunda who passed on 20 June 2007.
The Charles Chitambira coached Highway broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when midfielder Phillip Chuma released Denzil Kutadza who blasted home past an exposed Eagles goalminder Naison Sibanda from close range.
All hopes for a comeback by Prison Eagles fizzled into thin air in the 60th minute when Kudakwashe “Masvingo” Tarusarira fired a bullet into the back of the nets to end the match as a contest.
For their heroics from the first round, Highway walked away with $400, a trophy, a new football kit and 20 warm up jerseys, which were also given to the losing finalists Prison Eagles and the two semi-finalists Kabwe Warriors and Amagagasi Football Club from Victoria Falls.
Eagles walked away with $300, a trophy and a new football kit. In the third place play-off, Kabwe Warriors made sure the Hwange clubs dominated the tournament when they beat Amagagasi 4-1 after a penalty shoot out after the two teams remained deadlocked in regulation time. Fortune
Matenda, Elvis Makiyi, Blessing Bhebhe and Given Nyoni converted for Kabwe while Future Ndlovu scored the only spot kick for Amagagasi after Mega Ncube and Lucky Ndlovu had missed consecutive kicks.
Kabwe got $200 and a shield while fourth placed Amagagasi received $100 and another shield.
Speaking on behalf of the sponsors during the hand over of the warm up jerseys and football kit, Tatenda Rangarirai Gunda urged the clubs to take football as a unifying sport. “When we play football lets all do it as one big family as this game is a unifying sport. We have decided as Tatenda Safaris and the Gunda family to sponsor a football tournament this year as part of the sixth anniversary where we celebrate the life of my husband. Next year it will be bigger and even better and I am making a promise today that should I also pass on one of these days, I will leave this legacy with my children who will make this tournament a permanent feature in football in this part of the country.” she said.
Besides the cash prizes, trophies, warm up jerseys and football kits, the sponsors also catered for transport for Hwange teams and provided meals for all the players and officials of the participating four teams.
An elated Zifa Matabeleland North chairman Dennis Tshuma heaped praises to the sponsors for changing the face of football in the province.
“This is something which is very beneficial for our league as we have never had a tournament sponsored to this magnitude before. I would like to thank the family for such an initiative which will see our young boys play for something.
Everyone was a winner among all the 16 teams as the other teams which were knocked out in the early rounds have been given a match ball each and the sponsors have since made a pledge to buy all the teams kits in next year’s edition.” said Tshuma.
Online Reporter