Chibuku Super Cup draw today

FORMER Chibuku Super Cup holders Harare City will today go into the hat with a host of newcomers today when the draw for the Chibuku Super Cup semifinals is conducted this morning at the Premier Soccer League offices in the capital.

The Sunshine Boys are the only team left in the competition familiar with the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament after reaching the last four stage in every edition since the tournament was reintroduced in 2014.

The semi-finals are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday.

But while a ruling is yet to be made on the abandoned match between Shabanie Mine and Caps United, the other teams that have progressed in this year’s edition, How Mine and Bulawayo City, will be waiting with keen interest to know their next opponents.

And apart from Harare City, it is the first time that the other three clubs will be playing at the semi-final stage after the heavyweights fell by the wayside in the earlier rounds.

Last year, the Sunshine Boys were drawn against FC Platinum at the same stage and were denied a place in the final by Norman Mapeza’s side who then lost to newboys Ngezi Platinum.

Ngezi had beaten Highlanders in the other semifinal.

In 2015 season, Harare City met Highlanders in the semi-final, winning 3-0 to set up a final against Dynamos and they eventually lifted the Cup after winning 2-1.

In 2014, when the tournament was reintroduced, the Sunshine Boys beat ZPC Kariba 4-1 in the semi-finals and lost the final match to FC Platinum, under controversial circumstances.

And Harare City coach, Philani “Beefy” Ncube has already expressed confidence in progressing to the third final since the teams he feared most, Yadah and Caps United, were bundled out at the quarter-final stage.

Yadah lost to Bulawayo City while Caps United are unlikely to be given another chance after the abandonment of their match against Shabanie Mine due to crowd trouble.

PSL communications and liaison officer, Kudzai Bare, yesterday said the draw will proceed before the judgment comes out.

“The hearing will be conducted tomorrow (today), after the draw. So we will update on the judgment afterwards,” said Bare.