BULAWAYO giants Highlanders will face Harare City at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds in the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup following yesterday’s draw. TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
FC Platinum will face Black Rhinos, who massacred Triangle 4-0 in the last quarter-final match at Ascot Stadium in Gweru yesterday.
The draw was conducted, live for the first time on SuperSport, by Chibuku general manager Kudakwashe Chimwanda, Premier Soccer League competitions manager Elisha Mandireva and models from the Miss Gweru pageant.
Highlanders forward Charles Sibanda said they were happy to be at home.
“We will be at home so I think it is an advantage for us. We are coming from a big victory against How Mine and that has really motivated us after we had lost to Dynamos in the TM Pick n Pay Challenge Cup. We are looking forward to proceed to the final,” Sibanda said.
FC Platinum were also quick to welcome the draw. Defender Qadr Amini said they were happy to avoid Highlanders at this stage of the tournament.
“It’s a better draw than it could have been,” Amini said. “We are happy to avoid Highlanders.
“In my opinion it will make the tournament more exciting if we meet Highlanders in the final. If you notice in these tournaments we rarely get knocked out in the early stages. We normally reach the final.
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“There is just one occasion this time when we got knocked out in the early rounds of the NetOne Wallet Cup. So we will be happy to have avoided Highlanders,” Amini added.
FC Platinum advanced to the last four of the tournament after booting out troubled Harare giants Caps United when they handed them a 1-0 defeat having mauled them 6-0 in the final of the Zimbabwe National Army Charity Shield at Mandava Stadium two weeks back, their heaviest defeat in recent years.
Caps United defender George Nyirenda was the fall guy after beating his own goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube to hand Norman Mapeza’s men victory and a passage to the semi-finals.
Harare City progressed to the last four of the tournament courtesy of a 2-1 victory over a battling Chiredzi FC with Osborne Mukuradare and Martin Vengesayi weighing in with a goal each.
Chiredzi had raced into the lead through Sam Msimbu who headed home on 29 minutes off a free-kick from David Sengu.
