Zimpapers Logo

Jillian Shava Sports Reporter
AT least 16 secondary schools are expected to compete in the second edition of the Orap-Zenzele Chevrolet Under-20 Soccer tournament at Gifford High School this weekend.

The tournament is being held in partnership with Autoworld Bulawayo.

The 16 teams would be drawn from Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South as well as Bulawayo.

Orap’s chief financial officer Brighton Malandule said the tournament would be graced by Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa and his deputy Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Sithembiso Nyoni, who is also the Orap president, and Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda.

“We believe that for sport to develop in Zimbabwe, the support of government and the private sector is vital,” said Malandule.

The tournament winners will take home a floating trophy and soccer balls and book a slot in the annual Kambarami Trophy competition at Falcon College in Esigodini.

The Kambarami Trophy event has been held at Falcon for about two decades and brings together top soccer talent from secondary schools countrywide.

Bulawayo’s Mpopoma High School are the defending champions of the Orap-Zenzele Chevrolet tournament. The assistant sports director of the school, Brilliant Sibanda said they hoped to retain the title.

“We’re so eager to take part in this year’s competition and hope to clinch the championship yet again,” said Sibanda.

With age-cheating tainting several previous schools’ tournaments, the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) Bulawayo province headmaster in charge of soccer John Nzima said measures had been put in place to minimise the challenge.

“We cannot completely get rid of age cheating but we can do our utmost best to minimise it,” said Nzima, who is also the Gifford High headmaster.

He said since it is an Under-20 event, national identity cards, birth certificates and Grade 7 result slips would be used to verify the ages of participants.