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Coca-Cola Zimbabwe Market activation manager Vee Chibanda

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZONAL competitions for the country’s leading football development tournament, Copa Coca Cola, kick off next week after the official launch to be held at Rujeko High School in Glendale.

Rujeko are last year’s boys’ winners of the national tournament.

The zonal games start on Friday, May 26 with the winners of the zonal games clashing at district games set to be played on June 9. The winners of the district games will proceed to the provincial finals set for June 7.

Mashonaland Central will play host to the national finals which are pencilled for July 21 to 22.

Matabeleland South head in charge of soccer, Paulos Ncube, said schools in his province are geared up for the change of format from boys’ Under-16 to Under-15.

“We’re starting our zonal games next week and by then schools should be ready with their teams. Some of the schools heard late that the age groups have been changed, but still, they are excited and looking forward to the tournament. Bulilima will host the provincial finals and I think it will be Thekwane High School,” said Ncube.

Vee Chibanda, the Coca Cola activation manager, said the move to change the tournament’s flagship age group was meant to allow participants to compete in the Five-A-Side World Cup.

“Starting this year, Zimbabwe will be sending a team to the Under-15 Five-A-Side World Cup with participants selected from the Copa Coca-Cola schools’ tournament. The U-15 is meant to align our developmental programmes with Fifa recognised age-groups.

“We will continue to select the Dream Team from which we will get players for the Five-A-Side World Cup. Our belief is that this initiative to recommend a team for the World Cup, which Coca Cola sponsors also, supports initiatives of the national FA to spruce and market Five-A-Side football. We’re basically reaffirming our reputation of being the leading partner in terms of grassroots and development of the sport.”

— @ZililoR