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Kenny Ndebele

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League has poured cold water on pleas by lower league teams to be included in the Chibuku Super Cup 16 tournament.

Zifa Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza emerged from a mid-season general meeting about two weeks ago and announced that clubs in the lower tier had agreed to lobby the PSL and Zifa to include Division One teams in the Chibuku Super Cup.

He said this was because there is no FA Cup meaning that winners of the Chibuku Super Cup earned a direct ticket to represent Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederations Cup.

FC Platinum played in this year’s edition of the Caf Confederations Cup after winning the Chibuku Super Cup in 2014.

“The FA Cup, which gives birth to the country’s representatives in the continental competition, is usually played for by all the affiliates, but we don’t have such a cup at the moment. We agreed, therefore, to lobby for the inclusion of lower league teams in the Chibuku Super Cup. We’ll do our own preliminaries and then join the big guys when they start their campaigns,” said Mandaza.

But the PSL yesterday said the lower division league leadership’s wishes would remain a pipe dream as they would not be allowed to taste the Chibuku Super Cup.

The PSL instead encouraged the lower league clubs to aspire for promotion into the topflight so they can enjoy benefits, which include competing in the tournament.

“The Chibuku Super Cup is strictly a 16-team tournament meant for PSL teams. The fact that it’s used as a Caf Confederations Cup qualifier is by default. A tournament involving all Zifa affiliates is a Zifa Cup,” said PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele.

“Actually, we’re encouraging teams from the lower leagues to fight to be in the PSL to enjoy the cup.”

Eight teams, defending champions FC Platinum, How Mine, Chicken Inn, Dynamos, Chapungu, ZPC Kariba, Triangle United and last year’s losing finalists Harare City are vying for the $75,000 winner’s cheque.

The Chibuku Super Cup quarter-finals draw will be conducted on Thursday next week at a venue yet to be confirmed. The matches will be held on the weekend of September 19-20.

“The quarter-finals draw is on September 10. We will have double-headers for the quarter-finals at the request of our broadcasters, meaning that four games might be played at a single stadium or venues close to each other. We’re expecting some good displays from the remaining teams, entertainment that will be of real value for football fans,” said Ndebele.

On their way to the quarter-finals, FC Platinum and Chicken Inn beat Dongo Sawmill and Hwange by identical 2-0 score lines, while Dynamos scrapped through after a 1-0 win against Whawha.

Chapungu knocked out Flame Lily 2-1 and Harare City thrashed Buffaloes 4-1.

Highlanders and Caps United were the biggest first round casualties after being knocked out via penalty shootouts by How Mine and ZPC Kariba.

Triangle United needed the lottery shootout against lowly placed Tsholotsho to advance to the quarter-finals.