Wafa Wafa tourney teams expected to submit Covid-19 results

Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
TEAMS taking part in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer League “Wafa Wafa” tournament are expected to have tested all their players and submitted results to the regional body by end of day today.

All the league’s 16 teams will take part in the competition that begins tomorrow and will serve as a curtain raiser for the league which will begin next year.

ZIFA Southern Region board member responsible for competitions Fiso Siziba says all is in place ahead of the competition.

“We have prepared well for the tournament. The only outstanding issue for now has to do with Binga Pirates who might not make it to Hwange because the costs are proving to be too high for them. Remember they have to test as well.

As of now it’s not certain they won’t make the trip. We await to see how it all plays out. Besides that we are ready to have our games this weekend. With regards to the sponsor, we shall be revealing that information soon,” said Siziba.

The competition will run over four weeks with the winners cashing in US$3 000. Losing finalists going home with US$2 000.

Teams that will be knocked out in the semi-finals will each pocket US$1 500, while quarter-finalists will be rewarded with US$500. There is no prize money for teams that will be knocked out in the first round.

Tournament rules are that once the teams are tied up at the end of 90 minutes, they will head straight to penalty shootouts. Since it’s been a longtime without playing football, teams will be allowed to make five substitutions.

The tournament will take a break before the Christmas holiday, with the final set to be played a week before the league championship race kicks off on January 15.

The four Zifa Southern Region Division One League teams that had been booted out for not making commitments to pay affiliation fees, managed to regularise their status by last Friday and have been included in the Wafa-Wafa draw.

The 2019 Division One league runners-up Talen Vision, Casmyn, Mainline from Plumtree and Mosi Rovers of Victoria Falls paid their affiliation fees by Friday.

Fixtures
Saturday: Emakhandeni Pirates v Quality Foods (White City, 12pm), Ajax v Zimbabwe Saints (White City, 2pm), ZPC Hwange v Binga Pirates (Hwange), Mosi Rovers v Hwange (Chinotimba)
Sunday: Bosso 90 v Ratanang (White City) Arenel v Talen Vision (White City)
— @innocentskizoe