Copa Coca-Cola launch on today

THE launch of the 29th edition of the Under-15 boys and girls Copa CocaCola Tournament will be held at Rujeko High School in Glendale this morning.

The main activity is to seed the teams.

Dynamos assistant coach Biggie Zuze will be among legends to grace the occasion and will be joined by Alisara Kondowe, Kingstone Rinemhota and Costa Maradzike who all hail from Mashonaland Central.

Chipadze won the 2016 Boys Under16 title while the girl’s championship went to Chidyamakono High School.

The competition, which was established in 1989, has stood the test of time spreading its wings to the entire world.

Zimbabwe are the pioneers of the tournament.

COPA Coca-Cola has grown beyond Zimbabwe as 61 countries in the world now have their versions of the tourney.

Players like Peter Ndlovu, who played for Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, came through the COPA Coca-Cola structures.

Ndlovu played in England for the greater part of his football career, becoming an icon of Zimbabwean football.

Two of the best players from the tournament are selected to tour Europe. The competition starts at zonal level to district, provincial, then national.

Zonal games will be played on May 26 with the district finals set for June 9. The provincials will be held on July 7.

The finals will be held on Friday and Saturday of July 20 and 21 at Chipindura High in Bindura.

The national finals will see 12 teams in each category battling it out for honours. Hosts and defending champions have an automatic qualification for the finals.