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Coca-Cola Zimbabwe Market activation manager Vee Chibanda  does her presentation

Ricky Zililo in Kwekwe
COPA Coca-Cola has reaffirmed its position as the country’s leading football development competition by changing its flagship format from boys’ Under-16 to Under-15 in efforts to allow participants to compete in the Five-A-Side World Cup.

From this year’s edition, which starts next month, journalists charged with selecting the tournament’s Dream Team will also recommend a player to represent the country at the World Cup.

Vee Chibanda, the Coca Cola activation manager, said her company takes pride in partnering Zifa by taking a giant stride to market and take the lead in promoting Five-A-Side soccer.

National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) head in charge of football Albert Mucheka stresses a point during the Copa Coca-Cola Media Workshop held in Kwekwe yesterday. (Picture by Nkosizile Ndlovu)

“Starting this year, Zimbabwe will be sending a team to the Under-15 Five-A-Side World Cup with participants selected from the COPA Coca-Cola schools’ tournament. Changing to the U-15s is meant to align our developmental programmes with Fifa recognised age-groups. We’ve seen the likes of Kuda Mahachi (now at Golden Arrows, South Africa), Tatenda Mkuruva (Cape Town City, South Africa) and Netherlands-based Marvellous Nakamba participating at the tournament either at the finals or in the wards,” said Chibanda.

“We will continue to select the Dream Team from which we will get players for the Five-A-Side World Cup. Our belief is that this initiative to recommend a team for the World Cup, which Coca Cola sponsors also, supports initiatives of the national FA to spruce and market Five-A-Side football. We’re basically reiterating to our trend of being a leading partner in terms of being a leading grassroots and development of the sport.”

She said her company is also targeting using social media as a tool to market the tournament and to reach out to the youngsters.

— @ZililoR.