Bafa ready for final

THE Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa) is ready for the Townshend and Butcher trophy final pitting defending champions Rebels and Golden Hotspurs at Barboufields outside grounds on Sunday.

This year’s tournament marks the 60th anniversary celebration of the partnership between Bafa and Townshend and Butcher.

Bafa vice-chairman Charles Chunda said preparations for the final were at an advanced stage and they were ready for an epic final.

“We are ready for the final and preparations for the day are well in order. We are certainly looking forward to some beautiful and entertaining football. The competition has been very tough from the start and we expect the final to be a reflection of that. We encourage the teams to uphold the principle of fair play and may the best team win come Sunday,” he said.

Golden Hotspurs go into the game seeking to upset the Rebels who have had a fine run on their road to the final. Rebels joined the tournament in the quarter-final stage and cruised to a 4-1 win over Victory FC before dispatching Madamara 2-0 in the semi-final for a spot in the final.

Rebels coach Zwelibanzi Gumpo was bullish at the start of the tournament declaring the team’s desire to retain the trophy. His charges have been in top form and are favourites to retain the coveted trophy.

Golden Hotspurs’ road to the finals saw them beat Vipers 4-2 in the quarter-final before an impressive 3-1 victory over favourites Safeguard in the semi-final.

Safeguard will battle Madamara in the third place playoff.