Bosso to host Manzini Wanderers

ORGANISERS of the Royal Cup have promised to follow the necessary protocol required when hosting foreign sport organisations in line with the country’s laws.

There has been concern from football authorities in the country that the organisers were disregarding protocol and clandestinely trying to bring in a Swazi football side Manzini Wanderers to take on Bulawayo giants Highlanders on February 25 at Barbourfields Stadium.

Royal Cup Trust chief executive officer Nkosinathi Ndiweni told Chronicle Sport yesterday that they remain a law-abiding organisation made up of “respectable” people in both the business community and social sphere and hence would not want to spoil their standing.

“I want to make it very clear that all due protocol will be followed. We contacted Zifa and they gave us what we need to do before we stage this match. We are going to follow everything which they told us to do. Our function (the launch) has nothing to do with the football aspect.

“We are just launching our trust, putting in motion the process of finally staging the match. We will then start the process of implementing what Zifa asked us to do because we certainly can’t stage that match without their consent as well as that of other government arms like the Sports and Recreation Commission,” said Ndiweni.

The Royal Cup is an initiative of the Royal Cup Trust Foundation, a project initially mooted to help Highlanders celebrate its 90th anniversary celebrations, but now organises matches between the Bulawayo giants and teams from Southern Africa.

In the first edition of the Royal Cup, which was used to kick-start Highlanders’ 90th anniversary festivities last year, Bosso beat Botswana’s Gilsport 2-0 courtesy of goals by Knox Mutizwa and Prince Dube.