Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
The provincial finals for the National Association for Secondary School Heads (Nash) Copa Coca-Cola soccer competition will be held on Friday in all the 10 provinces.

The competition, to be held at 13 venues across the country, will be for both boys and girls.

The annual grassroots football tournament, whose aim is to identify, nurture and reward the best in young footballing talent, started last month.

Ninety-two boys’ schools and a similar number of girls’ schools will be vying for the provincial titles and the winners will compete in the national finals.

The national finals of the 27th edition of the tournament, will be held in Bulawayo from July 18-19.

John Nzima, the Bulawayo provincial Nash head-in-charge of football, said the girls’ provincial finals would be held at Mzilikazi High School and the boys’ competition at Gifford High.

“The stage is set for our provincial finals and I’m sure it’s going to be fireworks because all the schools that have qualified want to represent Bulawayo with pride at the national finals. Nothing beats playing before your hometown crowd and with the backing of home support, I’m sure whoever proceeds to the national finals will win the title,” said Nzima.

Inaugural winners of the tournament in 1989, Mzilikazi High are competing for a place in the final against Milton, Mpopoma, St Bernard’s, Ncimbatho, Sobukhazi, Northlea and Gifford. Gifford are already through to the national finals by virtue of being hosts and are just targeting the provincial title.

Mzilikazi High School grounds will host the girls’ tournament. Montrose, who will host the girls’ national finals, will use Friday’s games to fine tune their squad against Nkulumane, Masotsha, Sobukhazi, Maranatha, Sikhulile, Magwegwe and Emganwini.

Magwegwe represented Bulawayo in the girls’ category at last year’s national finals in Harare.

Hwange’s Chilisa will host the Matabeleland North finals for both the boys’ and girls’ categories.

Schools that will do battle in the Matabeleland North boys’ competition are Binga High, Gloag, Mosi-oa-Tunya, Mthuphane, Nkayi, Tsholotsho High, David Livingstone, Chilisa and Chinonge, the defending champions.

Defending girls’ champions, Chilisa will be hoping to make their second trip to the national finals at the expense of Manjolo, Siganda, Matshake, Pupu, Nkayi, Dinyane, Madlelenyoni and Mosi-oa-Tunya.

Matabeleland North Nash head-in-charge, Lunguza Ndlovu said they expected a tough competition.

Meanwhile, a shortage of grounds has resulted in the girls’ competition for Matabeleland South being staged on Thursday at Matopo High School with the boys’ finals set for Friday at the same venue.

Last year’s losing semi-finalists at the national final in the girls’ competition, Mzimuni are expected to face stiff competition from Selonga and Nswazi, who have represented Matabeleland South at national competitions before.

The other girls’ teams eyeing the sole ticket to the national finals are Malungudzi, Matopo, St Anna, Phakamani, Thekwane and Filabusi.

In the boys’ category, the winner between Manama and Halisupi will join Tongwe, Gwanda High, How Mine, Phakamani, Dombodema, Matopo and Wanezi in the provincial finals. Mzingwane High School failed to make it to the provincial finals this year.

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