World Cup chance for Copa Coca-Cola stars

Sport
The 2017 edition of the remodelled National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) Copa Coca-Cola Unders-15 competition is set to give the top performers in the boys category a chance to compete at the inaugural Five-A-Side World Cup to be held in South Africa later this year.

The 2017 edition of the remodelled National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) Copa Coca-Cola Unders-15 competition is set to give the top performers in the boys category a chance to compete at the inaugural Five-A-Side World Cup to be held in South Africa later this year.

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

Coca Cola Zimbabwe market activation manager Vee Chibanda (far right) addresses journalists in Kadoma on Friday.
Coca Cola Zimbabwe market activation manager Vee Chibanda (far right) addresses journalists in Kadoma on Friday.

With the advent of the new Copa Coca-Cola global competition, Nash has had to review the schools competition age limit downwards from an Under-16s to an Under-15 tournament in the boys section while it remains an Under-17 contest for the girls.

The Five-A-Side World Cup, which comes during the 27th edition of the competition pioneered by Zimbabwe in 1989, signals the growth of the occasion on a global scale.

Coca Cola Zimbabwe market activation manager Vee Chibanda announced the World Cup development at a media workshop held in Kwekwe on Friday.

“It’s an honour that we have been a part of this big tournament; working with Nash, we hope that it will continue to grow. We envision having more stars coming out of this tournament and we would like to see it grow bigger and better,” she said.

“This year some of our best players will get a chance to participate at the Under-15 Five-A-side World Cup. It’s an international tournament where different countries will come together with different teams and the best team will get a trophy, she announced.

“Over the years have been sending a few of our top players from Copa Coca-Cola to international events but this World Cup means we are sending a bigger team. Our competition will remain a normal 11-aside event and we will choose the best players from Copa Coca-Cola to represent,” Chibanda added.

The media workshop was organised to share the Nash Copa Coca-Cola vision with the local media as well as to share ideas on the media strategy to be employed this year.

The launch for this year’s edition of the competition is set for May 24 at Rujeko High School in Masvingo while the zone set the ball rolling on May 26.

District games will be played on June 9 and provincials on July 7, with the nationals finals set for July 21 and 22.

Bindura’s Chipindura High School, the defending champions, will stage the national finals and the Hermann Gmeiner will host the girls’ finals.