The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
RUSUNUNGUKO High School Under-15 boys’ soccer team coach Eremu Joseph Madzinga has conceded that his team has been handed a tough draw in their bid to defend the title they won in Bindura last year.
At the draw for the national finals conducted at the home of the defending champions last Tuesday, Rusununguko will play against provincial champions from Masvingo and Mashonaland West at the national finals to be held in Zvishavane in July.
Masvingo have proven to be powerhouses in Zimbabwean schools football with the likes of Dewure and Pamushana doing well in Copa Coca-Cola over the years. Mashonaland West have also excelled as their schools have been runners up in the competition for the last two years.
“That draw has strong teams, we have to work very hard, it’s a group of death so we have to prepare very hard for these teams considering that Masvingo are the powerhouse in terms of soccer. Mash West are the 2017 runners-up so we are going to do everything to make sure we sail through to the quarter-finals,’’ Madzinga said.
Rusununguko, who have an automatic ticket to the national finals have already started their preparations by taking part in the Harare Schools Champions League where Madzinga said they are getting good competition.
“Our group will be the final before the finals. We have already started preparations for this year’s edition, we played one game so far against Seke High. We are in the Harare Schools Champions League, I think that’s where most of our experience is coming from. We are playing schools like Prince Edward, Allan Wilson, Seke, and Mufakose Two High. In terms of football development these schools are at an advanced stage,’’ he said.
Madzinga expressed his gratefulness to those responsible for the co-ordinating Copa Coca-Cola and the Harare Schools Champions League for exposing his youngsters to high level competition.
“I just want to thank the organisers of Copa Coca-Cola for bringing such a tournament to the youngsters and I hope and trust they will continue supporting us. I also want to thank the Harare Schools Champions League, they are doing a very good job in terms of nurturing and development of talent. They are giving us experience, we are only two schools in Mash East that are playing in the Harare Schools Champions League, that is Rusununguko and Goromonzi so I think we will continue to play these games so that we have the much needed exposure before the finals in July,’’ Madzinga said.
His plan is to enter his team from the zonal competition all the way to the provincial tournament as part of their preparations for their title defence.
“Even from the zonal, districts because nowadays there is no small team, like last year we did surprise almost everybody considering this is our first time to win this tournament so we are going to play each game and we will take each game as it comes, we will leave no stone unturned.
There are four of them, one of them is Michael Saharu, the short one,’’ Madzinga said.
Rusununguko were crowned Coca-Cola boys national champions after they beat stubborn Pfupajena High School 4-2 in an exciting final match that was decided through a penalty shoot-out at a packed Trojan Mine Stadium. The boys from Goromonzi played the final with just 10 players, this was after vetting had left them with 11 and one got injured.
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