Copa Coca-Cola teams leave

THE Under-15 boys and girls Copa CocaCola dream teams left the country yesterday for the global camp that is running until next Monday in Durban, South Africa, with their coaches saying this is an opportunity for the players to gain international exposure.

The players will be imparted with mentor-ship and skills from professional coaches.

They will also compete in five-a-side matches starting tomorrow with group stages games.

The finals are slated for Sunday as well as the third and fourth play-offs.

The boys and girls teams of eight players each will be guided by Eremu Joseph Madzinga and Yeukai Chiruvu.

Chiruvu, who has guided Chidyamakono to five straight Copa Coca-Cola tournament titles in the girls’ competition, is looking forward to the camp.

“I think we are going to learn a lot on girls football at a higher level and this is going to help us to perfect our schools soccer because I heard we are going to meet professional coaches.

“This will help us to improve our soccer at school level.

“It’s not only the players that are going to benefit, the coaches are also going to benefit a lot. We are going to learn a lot of things since we are going to interact with some professional coaches,” Chiruvu said.

The girls are making their maiden appearance at such a camp.

“I think it will go a long way in promoting girls football because we are hoping to come up with something, we are going to work hard so that we show the country, the world that we are there, girls can do it,” said Chiruvu.

Madzinga, who is the Copa Coca-Cola winning coach for boys, said while it’s a chance for exposure, they are also excited about the five-a-side matches.

“As a coach this is a learning phase. We are going there to learn, we are going there to participate and if all goes well we are going to win, we are not going to make numbers.

“But all in all we have to participate,” said Madzinga.

The delegation is led by NASH acting head in charge of football Ropafadzo Matemavi and Coca-Cola marketing activations manager Vee Chibanda.

Meanwhile, 12 schools are expected to converge in Masvingo for the NASH Under-20 football tournament national finals set for tomorrow at Hippo Valley.

The tournament kicked off last month with zonal competitions and winners from there took part in the district events before going to the provincial finals to determine each province’s representative at the national finals.

The provincial finals concluded last weekend and the winners are Guinea Fowl (Midlands), Pumula (Bulawayo), Oriel Boys (Harare), Mutare Boys (Manicaland), Chibi (Masvingo), Rujeko (Mashonaland Central), Rusununguko (Mashonaland East), Conway (Mashonaland West), Gloag (Matabeleland North), Tongwe (Matabeleland South).

They are join defending champions Mavuradonha from Mashonaland Central and hosts Hippo Valley of Masvingo to make it a 12-team tournament. And they will be drawn into four groups of three with the top two going to the quarter-finals.

All teams are expected in Masvingo today for vetting while the actual competition is on tomorrow.

The tournament is being sponsored by Proton and Surrey Group to a tune of $5 000.

The winners will get $800 and the runners-up are going to pocket $500.