MZINGWANE High School captain Innocent Chifamba is confident that they will retain the Copa Coca-Cola football Under-16 Cup in Mutare at the weekend.
Sports Reporter
The Matabeland South school won their first ever Copa Coca-Cola football final after they beat 2007 champions Pamushana 1-0 in the boys’ final in Victoria Falls last year.
Vainona High School of Harare will be looking for their third successive title they successfully defend it beating Chidyamakono 2-0 in the final of Under-17 football girls’ final in the resort town last year.
Chifamba scored the only goal in last year’s boys’ final from a deadball situation beating Pamushana goalkeeper Sean Arimose who anticipated that the ball would go out for a goal-kick, but was surpised when it nestled inside the far left corner of the net.
The Mzingwane captain told Southern Eye Sport that they would target to defend the title in Mutare. “We want to win the cup this year again. We have been preparing a lot and I think the whole team has improved. Our squad is very strong. I think this year’s competition is going to be easy for us since Pamushana are not there.
They are also a strong squad,” he said.
Favourites Pamushana were knocked out 7-6 on penalties by Mwenezi in the provincials. Chifamba together with his teammates Glynn Tandi, Nqobile Moyo, Mkhokheli Nhliziyo, Paul Makotore and Taboka Ncube were part of the Copa Coca-Cola Under-16 dream team that travelled to South Africa for a training camp last year.
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The winner of the final in the boys’ section will pocket $6 500, runner-up $5 500, third-placed school $3 500 while the fourth-placed team will receive $2 500.
Winners in the girls’ section will be awarded $3 000, runners- up $2 500, third-placed $2 000 with the fourth-placed team expected to pocket $1 500.
The rest of the participating teams will get $1 200 each for the boys’ section while the rest of the participating schools in the girls’ section will receive $1 000 each with excelling players are expected to receive individual awards.
