Zim Metro

PROTEST FEARS Halt Copa Coca-Cola Tournament

BULAWAYO Metropolitan province failed to stage their National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) boys’ Under-16 and girls’ Under-17 Copa Coca-Cola provincial finals citing safety concerns for pupils following disturbances that rocked the city on Wednesday. 

The situation remains unpredictable with anti-riot police still patrolling the streets of Bulawayo to protect residence and business premises.

All the other provinces, however, managed to hold their finals with Churchill High School winning in Harare in the boys competition while Mabelreign Girls High came first in the girls category.

Nash head in charge of football in Bulawayo and Gifford High School headmaster John Nzima, whose school was supposed to play host to the inter district finals on Friday, said he felt the situation was not conducive to stage the tournament which would have seen 24 schools converging at the school.

The finals, according to Nzima will now be staged on Tuesday for the girls and Wednesday for the boys with the winners proceeding to the national competition set for Gwanda from July 22 to 24.

“We felt we had to protect our pupils following those skirmishes. The other problem was that some pupils were not attending classes last week,” said Nzima.

Unlike in previous years where each of the five district will have one boys and one girls team, this year the province opted to have two boys and an equal number of girls’ teams coming through to the finals.

“We have all along been disadvantaged as a province because the system which is being used at national level was different from the one we were using and that was a huge setback for us. So this year we will have quarter-finals just like at national level,” said Nzima.

In matches played in other provinces Matabeleland North will be represented by Tohwe High from Nkayi in the boys' category and Sojini will battle it out in the girls section.

Devuli beat Tsvingwe 5-4 on penalties to represent Manicaland in the boys section while Nyamauru will battle it out in the girls' section. Chinhoyi High and Vimbai are the boys and girls provincial winners for Mashonaland West.

Chemhanza, who won the 2013 and 2014 boys editions earned their ticket to Gwanda when they beat Uzumba 1-0 in Mashonaland East’s finals. They will be joined by Gotora in the girls' section. Guinea Fowl boys and Utongani girls are Midlands’ representatives.

Rujeko and Chipadze are boys and girls winners from Mashonaland Central. Rujeko will be hoping for another good show this year after losing to Dewure in the finals last year at Barbourfields in Bulawayo. Masvingo will have four teams at the national finals in the form of Dewure and Chidyamakono, who are the defending champions.

Matabeleland South are also going to have four representatives, with Gwanda High and Colleen Bawn qualifying by virtue of being the host schools.

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