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FROM THE CITY OF KINGS . . . Mzilikazi High School, winners of the Bulawayo provincial Arenel Nash Under-17 tournament, pose with their medals with the sponsors’ marketing executive, Tendai Taruvinga, amid high hopes that the school that gave the country Peter Ndlovu will make a big impression at the national finals this year

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
REPRESENTATIVES of the country’s two biggest cities – Harare and Bulawayo – will be watching from a distance this weekend to see who emerges from the other provincial finals to join them in the Arenel Nash Under-17 football tournament.

Malborough High School, who won the ticket from the capital, Mzilikazi, who emerged triumphant in Bulawayo and hosts Prince Edward will be inactive this weekend while others plunge into the battle to join them in the grand finale.

The national finals will be held at Prince Edward from July 31 to August 2, in a festival that will parade some of the finest emerging football talent in the country.

Mzilikazi, the school that famously produced legendary Zimbabwe football star, Peter Ndlovu, defeated Entumbane High School 2-0 to win the ticket from Bulawayo province to play in the national finals.

Marlborough High School have also produced a fair share of players who have gone on to make a mark in the domestic Premiership and edged Lord Malvern 7-6 on penalties in a tight Harare derby showdown.

Prince Edward qualify as hosts of the national finals while Mavhuradonha are the defending champions and were given an automatic ticket into the final showdown.

Mavhuradonha won the event, whose sponsors have poured in $152 000 towards football development in the schools this year, in Chinhoyi last year.

Tournament director, Mwandibhuya Mutepfa, said everything was on course with their focus this week on the other provincial finals.

“So far so good, we have had some problems here and there. It’s quite worrisome like in Bulawayo, we had schools with no necessary documents who participated at zonal and district level,” he told The Herald.

“This is caused by officials who are not honest, they have the regulations they received long before the tournament started that they should have a long birth certificate but still they come without those (documents).

“The games I watched so far, the quality of play is high. I have been to Bulawayo and Mashonaland East, their level of competition is high.”

Mavhuradonha showed last year that football talent is not only consigned to the big cities by romping to victory but whether they can repeat that feat this year remains to be seen.