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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Women’s Football is set to benefit from the forthcoming Supa Power four-team tournament to be held in Botswana this month following the organisers’ resolution to donate a certain percentage from ticket sales to the association.

According to Joy Setshedi, founder of the Joy Foundation that is running the tournament featuring Highlanders, Dynamos as well as Botswana sides Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Tafic, the money is for the development of women’s football in Zimbabwe.

“As Joy Foundation, we promise to give Zimbabwe Women’s Football a certain percentage for their development from the money we will make through SMS. I would really love to involve the women’s football association to assist us with selling of the tournament tickets and we will agree on the percentage to give to the association,” said Setshedi.

Teams and line-ups will be chosen by fans through a public voting system along the lines of the Carling Black Label Cup that features South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

The teams and line-ups for the Carling Black Label Cup are chosen by Carling Black Label customers, who submit an 11-digit code found on Carling Black Label products and have their vote registered. Customers also choose which substitutions to make in-game by voting via text message.

Dynamos and Highlanders were set to get a percentage of the money generated from the SMSes.

Setshedi said they were yet to get the SMS codes from the mobile telecommunications companies for the process to get underway.

In the draw, which was conducted in Francistown, Botswana, two weeks ago, Bulawayo giants Highlanders face Mochudi Centre Chiefs, while Dynamos will square off against Tafic in the August 19 event.

Highlanders and Dynamos have encouraged their fans to select the best players for the tournament.

Modern Ngwenya, Highlanders’ acting chairman said: “This is a unique tournament because it’s not the coaches who select the players but the fans. It is my hope that the Highlanders fans will select youngsters that haven’t seen game time so that they (youngsters) show what they are made of at the tournament. They can even use the tournament to launch their first team careers.

“We respect all our opponents and we hope to meet Dynamos in the final because we’ve got a score to settle. Remember our match in Zimbabwe was settled in the board room so we want to go and play 90 minutes in Botswana and settle matters and show who the big and better team is outside the borders.”

Graham Mafoko, marketing and sponsorship executive in the Dynamos board, said they appreciate the gesture extended by Joy Foundation to take part in this tournament.

“The format is fair and I think the club will generate some revenue through the SMS system. We encourage our followers to vote in numbers and as many times as possible because part of the revenue from the SMSes will go to the club. The good thing is that selection is supporters driven and the supporters who’ve been following the team know the players that have been in terrific form.

“As Dynamos, we take this tournament seriously and we give it the respect it deserves. We’re going to send all our registered players and we trust that the supporters will select the best players to compete in Botswana,” said Mafoko.

@skhumoyo2000