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Kenny Ndebele

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League will engage Zifa to discuss who will represent the country in next year’s Caf Confederation Cup following a change of format in the Mbada Diamonds Cup.Previously used for the continental showpiece, the Mbada Cup will this year involve four teams that finish at the top of the table.

The 2014 Mbada Diamonds Cup was launched on Tuesday with a reduced sponsorship package under a new format.

A total of $250,000 has been set for the competition down from $1 million.

Winners will walk away with $50,000.

Runners-up are guaranteed $30,000 while semi-finalists will take home $15,000 with the other 12 teams that fail to make it to the top four set to receive $10,000 each.

With league winners participating in the Caf Champions League, the Caf Confederation Cup representatives are drawn from an FA competition and in the case of Zimbabwe, the club that wins a domestic cup tournament involving all the 16 teams gets the ticket.

Zifa have failed to have an FA Cup involving teams from the lower divisions for a number of years.

“At this stage I can’t comment much on the Caf clubs competitions especially the Confederation Cup because it is the FA that has the jurisdiction over representatives of that competition. As you’re aware, winners of an FA tournament are the ones who qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup and now that there has been a change of format to the Mbada Diamonds Cup, we’ve to meet Zifa and discuss the way forward. Right now the Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze is out of the country and I’ll have a meeting with him once he returns,” said PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele.

In the previous three years, winners of the Mbada Diamonds Cup have gone to represent the country in the African Confederation Cup, getting a $130,000 subsidy from the company.

How Mine FC who lost to Highlanders in the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup last season were the country’s representatives in the less glamorous continental tournament where they were booted out in the second round.

With the season approaching its end, it is highly likely that winners of the Chibuku Super Cup, the only tournament to involve all the topflight teams, will be Zimbabwe’s representatives for the Caf Confederation Cup.

Delta Beverages are bankrolling the Chibuku Super Cup which is now at the semi-finals stage with a total package of $500,000.

Highlanders will face army side Black Rhinos while FC Platinum have a date with Harare City. Venues and dates for the last four will be announced soon.

The Bulawayo giants powered their way into the semi-finals of the tournament after beating How Mine 3-1 with FC Platinum advancing to the last four of the tournament after knocking out Caps United 1-0.

Harare City beat Chiredzi 2-1 while Black Rhinos dumped out Triangle United.