Seeded teams given home advantage in Chibuku Cup

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

SEEDED teams will start the hunt for the Chibuku Super Cup at their home grounds when the prestigious domestic football tournament kicks off this weekend.

The top eight teams as at Week 17 were seeded for the first round draw, with Chicken Inn who were at the apex set to open their Chibuku Super Cup account against Harare City at Luveve Stadium, in a repeat of last weekend’s Premier Soccer League match which the Gamecocks won 1-0.

Defending Chibuku Super Cup champions, FC Platinum welcome relegation threatened Tenax CS FC at Mandava Stadium, while Harare giants Dynamos will take Whawha in the only match to be played in the capital.

Two games are slated for Vengere, with the first to be played on Saturday being the Black Rhinos and Caps United, while Manica Diamonds will entertain rejuvenated Yadah, who are on a seven-match unbeaten run, 24 hours later.

Last year’s losing finalists, Ngezi Platinum Stars, will be at their Baobab fortress against Herentals.

Bulawayo’s Luveve Stadium will have a repeat of last weekend’s PSL clash between Bulawayo Chiefs and ZPC Kariba on Sunday. On Saturday the same stadium hosts the Chicken Inn-Harare City encounter.

Highlanders, the 2019 Chibuku Super Cup winners, have a tricky first round tie away at Triangle United.

Save for FC Platinum, Dynamos and Chicken Inn, who are vying for the Premiership title and dream of a double, the rest of the teams are battling to get a 2021/22 season face-saver by lifting the Chibuku Super Cup.

The teams that will win the weekend games will proceed to the quarter-finals to be played on the weekend of September 17-18.

The semi-finals are set for October 15-16, with the final on November 19.

Chibuku Super Cup first round fixtures

Saturday, August 20: Chicken Inn v Harare City (Luveve), FC Platinum v Tenax CS FC (Mandava), Black Rhinos v Caps United (Vengere), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Herentals (Baobab)

Sunday, August 21: Bulawayo Chiefs v ZPC Kariba (Luveve), Manica Diamonds v Yadah (Vengere), Dynamos v Whawha (National Sports Stadium), Triangle United v Highlanders (Gibbo) — @ZililoR