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Bernard Muchemwa Correspondent

Zimbabwe Warriors Australia are today hosting a football fiesta — the ninth edition of the Battle of the Cities — at Gunners Soccer Club, Bensley Road Macquarie Fields, in Sydney, Australia.

This is a football tournament for Zimbabweans domiciled in Australia in the State of New South Wales (NSW).

There are five cities involved in this tournament, namely Sydney, the Metropolitan City of Australia, Orange, Canberra the capital city of Australia, Central Coast and Newcastle.

This is one big fun day where Zimbabweans from all walks of life in this lively State converge.

The teams involved will be categorised according to age.

There are two Under-12 teams, four open ages teams and three masters teams – Sydney Masters, Orange United FC and Central Coast, who have merged with Newcastle to form a formidable side to challenge perennial winners Sydney Masters.

The Masters are “the senior citizens”, who have kept themselves busy and health, kicking the round ball and supporting their children, who are part of the Zimbabwe Warriors Australia.

The most anticipated match is between Sydney Masters and the Orange Veterans and there are always sparks flying with their respective ladies barracking for them clad in colourful regalia.

In the open age, there is Sydney, Canberra and Orange and to give the youngsters good preparations for the upcoming African Nations Cup in Sydney, the organisers of this tournament have invited Tanzania and Cameroon, both participants of the Nations Cup.

They will give the Zimbabwe Warriors Australia the much-needed rigour and grittiness expected at this level.

The Under-12s are another offering of the Zimbabwe Warriors Australia being groomed for the next stage and will play other teams yet to be identified.

This is a group of talented players who are being given more playing time and training opportunities.

The Battle of the Cities is a tournament created to foster oneness, cohesion, cultural showcasing and preservation to provide platforms for networking, mixing and mingling of Zimbabweans in NSW, among other things.

For the Zimbabwe Warriors Australia ensemble, this provides another opportunity to improve and enhance its pathways to the envisaged success.

During the day, the community will be spoiled with Zimbabwean cuisine, thus sadza, matumbu, makuru and mazondo will be served; and they will be serenaded by melodious Zimbabwean tunes from DJ Simmy’s Disco.

This helps to shake off the home-sickness affecting many.

The gathering is a whole day event and a true jamboree pregnant with joy and ecstasy.

A day which reminds the participants about being Zimbabwean and a double whammy for football enthusiasts and the budding talent the organisers of the tournament are trying to nurture to lofty                    heights.