Nash hails schools on age cheating

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

THE National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) has applauded schools for weeding out age-cheating after recording few cases at the weekend’s provincial finals of the country’s premier secondary schools football tournament, Copa Coca-Cola.

Twenty-four teams from the country’s 2 817 schools will participate in the national finals of the boys’ and girls’ Under-15 to be held in Kadoma, Mashonaland West, from July 11 to 14.

Commending schools for heeding the call to stamp out age-cheating, Nash president Arthur Maphosa said: “We’re very happy that everything went smoothly from the start of the knockout stages at cluster level, through district competitions and the provincial finals, with few cases of players vetted out. Credit should be given to schools that are seeing the value of competing on an even ground and winning with dignity. 

“I’m sure that our sponsors Coca-Cola will be happy that efforts are being made to protect the integrity of the competition. When we go to Kadoma, what we want is to play football and for the kids to enjoy.”

Mashonaland West Nash head-in-charge of football Bernard Tavaguta said his province is ready to host the national finals.

“We are ready to receive all the 24 teams, which consists of 12 boys and 12 girls’ teams from across the country,” said Tavaguta.

Cope Coca-Cola 2019 finalists

Boys: Rimuka 2 High (hosts), Pamushana (defending champions), Prince Edward (Harare), Chapwanya (Manicaland), Tongwe (Matabeleland South), Mpopoma High (Bulawayo), Guinea Fowl (Midlands), Rujeko (Mashonaland Central), Somvubu Secondary (Matabeleland North), Vimbai (Mashonaland West), Hippo Valley (Masvingo), Rusununguko (Mashonaland East)

Girls: Jameson High (hosts), Nyamauru (defending champions) Dzivarasekwa 2 (Harare), Gotora High School (Manicaland), Nkankezi (Matabeleland South), Mpopoma (Bulawayo) Mucheke (Mashonaland East), Chinyenyetu (Midlands), Chipindura (Mashonaland Central), Tohwe High (Matabeleland North), Rimuka 2 High (Mashonaland West), Mwenezi (Masvingo). — @ZililoR.