BancABC semis postponed

Sport
THE BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final matches that had been slated for Bulawayo’s Barbourfields this weekend have been postponed indefinitely.

THE BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-final matches that had been slated for Bulawayo’s Barbourfields this weekend have been postponed indefinitely.

HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER

Sponsors of the eight-team tournament had scheduled a double header at the venue where FC Platinum were supposed to take on Monomotapa first before the second semi-final between Dynamos and Shabanie Mine.

BancABC had scheduled the two matches at the same venue on the same day to allow live screening of the two games on SuperSport. However, BancABC marketing manager Muriel Dowa yesterday said they had been forced to postpone the matches to a later date because the venue has been booked for a political rally.

“We had wanted to stage the matches at Barbourfields, but we have been advised by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) that the venue has been booked for a rally,” Dowa said.

“We are waiting for the PSL to give us their alternative dates for the matches, but we have proposed that they be played next weekend,” Dowa added.

The tournament returned this year after a one-year absence on the soccer calendar due to fixture congestion last season. The postponement is likely to affect the start of the Mbada Diamonds Cup which should begin just after the BancABC final.

Also likely to be affected will be some league fixtures, since there are potentially four national team games to be played starting this weekend involving the Warriors, Mauritius and Zambia.

Dynamos qualified for the semis after dumping Buffaloes while Monomotapa beat defending champions Motor Action. FC Platinum got the better of Highlanders while Shabanie Mine grilled Chicken Inn to book their place in the last four. Winners of this year’s edition will pocket a cool $120 000 while runners-up will get $50 000.

For making it into the last four, teams will be assured of $20 000. The four teams that fell at the initial stage of the competition were given $12 000.