Online Reporter
Onward Gangata, [email protected]
CENTRAL Region clubs now know who stands in their way after Saturday’s Munhumutapa Cup draw, with the competition set to pull them out of their usual league routine.
All 18 teams are in, but the road doesn’t start the same for everyone. Four sides go straight into the first round, while the other 14 wait in the second round.
Dulibadzimu will host ZRP Gwanda in one of the opening ties while Grain Tigers take on Sabi Gold Mine for the other place in the next round.
The winners will then join the rest of the field, where the competition begins to take shape with a number of tricky second-round fixtures already lined up.
Central Region Soccer League chairman Patrick Hill said the tournament comes at the right time for clubs in the region.
“This tournament has come at the right time and as a region we are so happy to be considered part of this prestigious competition,” he said.
Blanket Mine director Jeremiah Gasitene believes the competition gives clubs something extra to fight for beyond league football.
“We are going to use this as a springboard to give ourselves belief that we can do it,” he said.
“For the players it’s important. We are looking forward to the start of the tournament and to test ourselves against the best in this country.”
For players and clubs alike, the tournament offers a chance to prove themselves in a different setting, with performances here likely to carry weight beyond the Central Region.
Munhumutapa Cup Draw
First Round: Dulibadzimu v ZRP Gwanda, Grain Tigers v Sabi Gold Mine.
Second Round: Good Morning v Dulibadzimu/ZRP Gwanda, Blanket Mine v FC Platinum U19, Tongogara v Supper Strikers, Vhembe Stars Academy v Chapungu, Gwanda Pirates v Grain Tigers/Sabi Gold Mine, Shabanie v MSU, Kwekwe United v Shurugwi FC, West Nicholson v Matobo
