Copa Coca-Cola provincial finals this week

AS the Copa Coca-Cola Under-15 boys and girls tournament national finals draw closer, it will be a hive of activity this week with all provinces expected to host their provincial finals that will determine their representatives at this year’s edition.

Midlands are the hosts for this year’s national event to run from July 12 to 14 in Zvishavane.

But before that the provinces will this week channel their energies towards their final competitions, which will decide their representatives at the country’s prestigious schools football tournament.

Most of the provincial competitions are slated for Friday but Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South will kick-start their finals on Thursday with the girls matches, followed by the boys event the following day.

The winners from the provinces will join the defending champions Rusununguko and Chidyamakono in the boys and girls sections as well as the hosting schools Zvishavane and Mandava High Schools.

Mandava will host the boys and Zvishavane hosts the girls.

National Association of Secondary School Heads head in charge of football,Albert Mucheka, said they are hoping for an exciting competition across the country as the journey to the national finals continues.

“We expect that participants are going to stick to laid down regulations by fielding the players of the right age group, so that there are no cases where people complain of cheating.

“We expect that participants are going to play fairly and we are looking forward to having the best teams from each province coming to represent each province at the national finals in Zvishavane,” said Mucheka.

The competition to the national final got underway last month with the zonal games, before they proceeded to the districts, culminating into the provincial finals this week.

Matabeleland South will have their girls’ final on Thursday at Colleen Bawn and the boys on Friday at the same venue.

It’s the same case in Matabeleland North where they will host the boys and girls competitions over two days at Manjolo High and Binga High respectively.

Masvingo boys and girls will battle it out for the ticket to Zvishavane at Pamushana High.

This year’s hosts Midlands will have their provincial finals in Zvishavane where they will use Maglas, Mandava and Shabanie Mine for their games.

Rujeko High School host the Mashonaland Central finals while Lord Malvern is the place to be for Harare schools.

In Mashonaland East all matches will take place at St Francis of Assisi and Madzivire High while Mashonaland West schools will converge at St Francis.

Mamunyandza hosts schools in Manicaland and in Bulawayo the place to be is Gifford High School.

This year marks a special milestone in the history Copa Coca-Cola as the tournament celebrates its 30th anniversary.