Horsepower Tournament is back

Lovemore Dube, Sports Hub Coordinator

THE once popular football tournament organised by former Contex defender Madodana Tshabangu known as the Horsepower Tournament is back and ready to roll on.

Tshabangu has promised fireworks at this year’s tournament which returns after almost a seven year absence.

“We are going to have players who will be playing Premier League football (next year) through the Horsepower off-season tournament,” Tshabangu declared in an interview.

Started in 1997 with the first tournament at Ross Camp sponsored by the late businessman Nhamo Rusamo, the tournament was a crowd puller bringing people from all over Bulawayo across the social divide together.

It was common to find the latest models at the event and diasporans all there to catch up with friends and football legends both from the past and big names still playing or just retired.

Benjani Mwaruwari was among the stars of the pioneering tournament at Ross Camp before he was snatched up by AmaZulu who would on respect of former late President Canaan Banana allow him the move to Harare. He joined University of Zimbabwe and later Air Zimbabwe Jets who would sell him to Jomo Cosmos who took him to Europe.
Several other players went on to be identified for the Premiership and First Division clubs at the tournament as Tshabangu grew it from an eight-team extravaganza to 32.

“I am happy to announce that the Horsepower Off-Season tournament is back, we are starting on 23 December with knockouts, December 24 knockouts,” said Tshabangu who earned the moniker Horse Power during his playing days.

The semi-finals will be played on 30 December with the final a day later.

He said junior teams had also been lined up to be part of the festivities.

“We have lined up juniors who will be taking part. We have Matshobana, Njube, Iminyela/Number One and Lobengula SDA,” said Tshabangu.

Tshabangu declared that five teams were yet to be finalised as they were still receiving enquiries acknowledging that there were more teams than available slots.

“We have Njube Select, Mpopoma, Nketa, we still have lots of enquiries, we have five slots left,” said Tshabangu.

He said both active and retired players are expected to accompany their home suburb sides.
Magwegwe, Sizinda, Emakhandeni,

Mkokoba and Mzilikazi Selects have been among the most popular of the teams at Tshabangu’s tournaments.

Tshabangu said there will be good talent on offer that Premiership clubs will find replacements for their retiring or departing stars.