Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup women’s quarter-final promises to be an exciting football festival with four fixtures lined up for the weekend of October 2 to 4 in Harare, Mutare and Zvishavane.
This comes after a draw was conducted yesterday in the capital, where Herentals Under-19 will host Division-One side Black Mambas Queens, while Chapungu Queens are expected to welcome Black Rhinos Queens.
FC Platinum Royals will host Harare City Queens at Mandava when Faith Drive Academy will face a huge test from Zimbabwe Women’s League four-time defending champions Herentals Queens at Chisamba Grounds. Winners from each quarter-final will battle it out in the semi-finals between December 5 and 6, for the winners to then converge in the ultimate battle on December 22 with US$ 200 000 on the line for the champions.
While other teams smiled after the draw, the mood for Black Rhinos Queens was different.
Paired against Chapungu Queens, Rhinos were pulled straight back to 2024, the year Chapungu dumped them out of The Heart League semi-finals with a 2-0 victory at The Heart Stadium. And yesterday, what looked to everyone else like just another Munhumutapa Cup quarter-final between two ZWPSL heavyweights, was for Black Rhinos a uniformed forces derby with everything on the line.
Redemption or repeat.
“This is a big battle for us; one which needs us to prepare well, in time, if we are to survive the race because Black Rhinos are not a pushover,” said Black Rhinos manager Portia Chihota.
“We are also looking beyond just fixtures in this Munhumutapa Cup; it is more to do with the recognition of women’s football at large. It is a breath of fresh air for us to have our game finally recognised.”
Faith Drive Academy director Dumisani Sithole said the Munhumutapa Cup can unlock more doors for female players.
He noted the tournament comes at a time when ZIFA has appointed new substantive national team coaches who are already scouting. “When we realised that the coaches are now attending women’s games, we were delighted because these Cup matches, together with the league, are now opportunities for more players to be noticed,” he said.
“Our message to the players is to look beyond score-lines and money but focus on the opportunity ahead of everything.
“We have Division One teams like Black Mambas still in the tournament, Faith Drive from Mutare and Platinum Royals based in Zvishavane, teams that previously got little attention. We are happy the new coach is now visiting all those places.”
Black Mambas Queens club administrator Kudakwashe Kapengautowa commended ZIFA for including women in the competition.
He said the inclusion could be a turning point for women’s football, which continues to struggle for popularity.
“Compared to other nations, the uptake of women’s football in Zimbabwe is still low because there haven’t been meaningful rewards or opportunities,” he said.
“But with cups like this, and the financial rewards involved, I am sure we will see marked improvement. More can still be done, but this is a start. “This is the first national tournament for women, and it cannot go unnoticed.
“It is perhaps the beginning of a brighter future where more talent will be unearthed and more lives transformed.
