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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Off the Ball
THE fifth edition of the Bob Super Cup roars into life tomorrow afternoon at Barbourfields Stadium with Bulawayo giants Highlanders and former Cup Kings Caps United coming face to face.Amahlolanyama are participating for the third time on the trot in the history of this sentimental football engagement meant to add to the flavour of celebrating President Mugabe’s birthday. On the two previous occasions, Bosso have come back to their base, Bulawayo, empty handed and badly wounded by their old nemesis, Dynamos. Makepekepe are taking part for the second time, having been part of the inaugural tournament in 2011 where they too lost to DeMbare, again in Harare.

The second edition of this tournament featured mining teams, FC Platinum and Hwange, with the platinum miners emerging winners in a match played at Rufaro Stadium, in the capital.

The mention of Harare is not by coincidence or out of malice but deliberate. The Bob Super Cup is not for the capital alone or even Bulawayo, but it’s a national event that should be extended to every corner of Zimbabwe preferably with the host provinces of the national celebrations expected to stage the tournament.

This is why the Zanu-PF Youth League took a bold step of rotating the 21st February Movement Celebrations across the country’s 10 provinces instead of hosting it in one province as if the President is only for that particular place.

It’s my humble belief too that the Bob Super Cup, while the organisers might have the privilege of inviting teams and coming up with the rules of the tournament, should take the main celebrations’ route and hold it on rotational basis.

Let the hosting province of the main celebrations cap it all by hosting the final of the football tournament. Why should it always be taken to the capital?

This year’s main celebrations are in the resort town of Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North, a province that has a Caf and Fifa approved stadium, the Colliery.

This facility is only 100KM away from Victoria Falls but in the same hosting district of Hwange. It would have been nice for those that would have attended the main celebrations today to just drive 100KM tomorrow and witness the clash between Highlanders and Caps United at the Colliery Stadium.

Since the winner between these two equally well supported sides will meet holders Dynamos in the final, which will naturally see an increase in the number of fans, there might not be anything wrong with taking the final to the next big venue which is Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo. Yes, Emagumeni is not in Matabeleland North, but it can be understandable.

The Bosso/Makepekepe venue has already been chosen and everyone is geared up for the match tomorrow but there is still another seven days before the final is held, enough time for the organisers to see reason and bring the fifth edition of the Bob Super Cup final to Barbourfields Stadium.

Reasons for bringing the final to Barbourfields Stadium will even be more relevant if Highlanders beat Caps United tomorrow.

It won’t need a rocket scientist to show that the cost of bringing Dynamos to Bulawayo will naturally be the same as that of taking Highlanders to Harare for the showdown!

Maybe there is a need to take a leaf from our neighbours, South Africa, who also have an almost similar football tournament in honour of their statesman, Nelson Mandela.

Since its inception in 1994 in which Bafana Bafana hosted and beat Zambia, the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup has been held in nine different venues across South Africa, the last being in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga province.

They fully understand that the late icon was and still is a larger than life character who is loved by every South African. It’s the same with our President; every Zimbabwean needs to enjoy that privilege and indeed maybe even right, to have the Bob Super Cup final played at his or her own province.

Organisers of the Bob91 Super Cup must take a long and deep look into the bigger picture of holding the final of this very important football event in the hosting province. There is no problem with hand picking teams and having the holders defending their cup in the final but I personally believe there is every problem in having the final in one venue, always.

Let’s hear your opinion: [email protected]