Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda, [email protected]
FAMED for football development Mzilikazi High School will play host to the National Association of School Heads (Nash) Proton-Surrey 20 and Under boys’ finals next month.
Touted at one of the biggest schools meet in the country, the tournament is slated for October 6 and brings together top schools from all provinces.
This year’s launch of the Proton Surrey tournament was held in Marondera on May 26.
All provinces will host provincial finals on September 29.
The tournament was introduced on the schools’ sporting calendar in 2016.
Mzilikazi High School, well known for its yesteryear glory as a centre of grooming young players, has been honoured to welcome the best of school teams in what promises to be a grand stage of talent identification as well.
Although the games will be played at Barbourfields B Arena grounds, the responsibility bestowed on the school means a lot for a school that produced the likes of respected football greats such as Peter Ndlovu.
It would be a blessing for as many budding footballers to walk on the same grounds that legends started their careers, according to the Mzilikazi High School headmaster Bhekokuhle Dube.
“As Bulawayo Province we are ready and we confirm that all teams are up and about preparing for the tournament. Bulawayo is going to provide two teams. Mzilikazi High School comes in as the hosts and it will also be the Games Village for the 10 provincial teams.
“Being hosts to the tournament means a lost to us as a school and we are trying not to disappoint the province as we aim to fly the image of the province high. In terms of preparations, we are in the process of sprucing up the school for our visitors. Our team is conducting a lot of friendlies as well,” said Dube, in an interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub.
He said it was a great honour for Mzilikazi High School to play host to the tournament.
“It actually reflects a lot because when you talk of football in Bulawayo, you cannot leave out Mzilikazi High School. Even right now, in the local leagues, we have a number of players who came from the school. It is therefore befitting that we are hosting one of the biggest schools’ tournaments this year again,” said Dube.
Mzilikazi, multi-winners of the CopaCola tournament and several others has been home to some of the biggest names in local football who include Lawrence Phiri, Mpumelelo Dzowa,
Adam Maseko, Douglas Maketo, Max Tshuma, Peter Ndlovu, Vusa Nyoni, Stanford Ncube, Lindani Kurairwa, Danny Ngwenya and the late Adam Ndlovu.
The schedule of the games, as explained by Nash vice-president Cephas Mutumhe, all provincial winners travel to Bulawayo on October 5 for the vetting process, as they wait to play the next day.
He said, the province has proposed to have a girls match as a way to promote women’s football in the country.
“On October 7, we will have an exhibition match for an Under-20 girls match between the host school and a select team,” he said.
Last year’s winners and defending champions were Goromonzi High School from Mashonaland East Province.
Goromonzi beat Harare provincial champions Allan Wilson 1-0 in the final.
All set for the big day of schools football.
Online Reporter