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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
INAUGURAL winners of the country’s prime schools soccer tournament Copa Coca-Cola, Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo yesterday received textbooks from the sponsors to mark the competition’s 30th anniversary.

Mzilikazi were crowned the first champions of the tournament in 1989 when they defeated Manunure Secondary from Kwekwe 3-0.

The tournament became a platform for budding stars, with Mzilikazi producing stars such as the legendary Peter Ndlovu, Gift Banda and the late Benjamin Nkonjera.

Mzilikazi went on to win three more Copa Coca-Cola trophies in 1993, 1995 and 2001, underlining their status as the school of football excellence.

Cuthbert Chiromo, the former Mzilikazi headmaster who guided the school to those four Copa Coca-Cola titles, was delighted with Coca-Cola’s gesture.

“I feel good about this gesture and thanks to Coca-Cola for doing this. Donating textbooks is something good which should be cherished.  I’ve always said to the guys that we have sport but at the end of the day we have an obligation to educate the children and these textbooks will go a long way in giving knowledge to these kids,” he said.

Chiromo, who is now the headmaster of St Thomas Aquinas Primary school, said the return to Mzilikazi invoked “fond memories”.

“When I come to Mzilikazi, I’m home away from home. At one time my email address was “chiromokaMzilikazi” and I still feel the same. They (Mzilikazi) might not have won trophies since I left, but the number of pupils that have qualified to play in the topflight in Zimbabwe, if those players were to stop playing, the league will come to a halt,” said Chiromo.

Coca-Cola senior brand manager Vee Chibanda handed over the textbooks to acting Bulawayo deputy provincial education director secondary and non-formal education Thabani Sibanda and Mzilikazi headmaster Bhekokuhle Dube.

“We are here to talk about the journey that Coca-Cola has travelled for the past 30 years since 1989. As we celebrate this milestone, we have found it prudent to pay a courtesy call to your school. Mzilikazi High is a special school where we trace our roots,’’ Chibanda said.

Dube expressed gratitude to Coca-Cola for the textbook donation, saying it will play a huge part in the school’s efforts to implement the new curriculum.

Hippo Valley High and Churchill high, who also won the tournament four times each, will also receive textbooks from Coca-Cola.

@ZililoR