adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League and Mbada Diamonds, sponsors of the knockout tournament Mbada Diamonds Cup, are heading for a collision over beaming of the weekend semi-finals matches.
Four teams will clash in the semi-finals, the first pitting league title contenders Highlanders and Harare City at Mandava Stadium on Saturday with Caps United set to lock horns with giant slayers How Mine at the National Sports Stadium the following day.
According to highly placed sources, SuperSport, who have a contract with the league, have said it would be difficult for them to beam the two matches live unless there is a double header at Mandava Stadium, a suggestion that was rejected by Mbada Diamonds who argue that it is against their standing position of spreading the games across the country.
SuperSport reportedly argued that their policy was that they should not cover games in succession which are 200km apart as that would mean travelling at night to Harare for the second semi-final unless the Zvishavane match is played much earlier than 3pm.
“Mbada Diamonds then said they have a standing contract with the national broadcaster ZBC but the league stood its ground and said they too have a running contract with SuperSport that gives the South Africa-based broadcaster sole rights to the games not ZBC and as owners of the league they cannot breach that contract,” said the source.
PSL competitions manager Elisha Mandireva said SuperSport were yet to confirm which game would be beamed live in the event they decide to beam one.
“The broadcaster is yet to confirm coverage of the games. If they cover the Saturday game, it means they have to travel at night to the capital which is against their policy but like I said at the moment we are not sure which game will be screened live as they are yet to confirm,” said Mandireva.
Meanwhile, the sponsors have agreed to keep the gate charges at $1 for the two semi-finals and the final.
“Our gate charges will remain a dollar for the rest of the grounds,” said Mandireva.
Winners of the lucrative tournament will receive $130 000 in prize money and a ticket to the Caf Confederations Cup competition with the diamonds mining company availing $110 000 in subsidy.
Losing finalists will get $90 000 while the two losing semi-finalists are set to receive $45 000 each.
The four losing quarter-finalists each get $30 000.
Mandireva said the venue of the final will be decided after the weekend matches although indications are that Barbourfields Stadium will play host to the final later this month.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter