adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
IT’S been a long and fulfilling journey for the Copa Coca-Cola tournament with budding football players from different parts of the country getting the opportunity to showcase their talent while some used it to launch their careers.
The tournament, which started in 1989, has grown in leaps and bounds over the years.
It is run by the National Association of Secondary Schools heads, and sponsored by Coca-Cola, has revolved over the years to become the biggest schools football tournament in the country.
As the tournament celebrates its 30th anniversary, Nash president Johnson Madhuku, who witnessed the first edition of the competition in 1989, when he was the head for Nyabata High School from Masvingo, said he never imagined the tournament would be this big one day.
“This is my ninth year as the Nash president. But since this tournament started in 1989, I was there, but I was just a head at Nyabata High School then.
“I would say every year it has been improving and the momentum has been growing. At the early stages when it started it didn’t have the steam and momentum it has now.
“It has become exciting to an extent that every school wants to be involved. The presence of Copa Coca-Cola can be felt even at the lowest level of the competition. It has captured the interest of the youngsters,” said Madhuku.
Madhuku, who at some point was the chairman for Masvingo province before he was elevated to become the Nash president, reckons the tournament has also had a positive impact in the province.
The province has proved to be one of the most successful in this tournament with Hippo Valley High School winning the trophy four times.
They first claimed the title in 1990 and went on to retain the championship the following year.
They won the trophy again in 1996 and defended the title the following year.
Dewure, also from Masvingo, won the Copa Coca-Cola tournament more than once.
They were the champions in 2010 and in 2015 while Mashoko High School and Pamushana won it in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
The Nash president said they have become more than a family with their sponsor.
“For us this is a success story of development of soccer because they are complementing our efforts in a big way. We would not have gone this far.
“When there is a sponsor it makes a difference. It develops interest from the young players themselves, coaches, scouts and those with academies they find it as a fertile ground to scout for talent and it helps the development of football.
“When we started it was more of Nash and Coca-Cola, but now we are more than a family. We can knock on their door anytime,” Madhuku said.
Online Reporter