By Don Makanyanga
The $250 000 Mbada Diamonds Cup, which was set to be the season-ending tournament for the Premier Soccer League (PSL), has been cancelled.
Indications from the PSL are that the tournament will now be held next year and is likely to be the 2015 season opener.
PSL chairman Twine Phiri confirmed the latest development on Tuesday, stating that the cancellation was meant to avoid a counter-attraction to the Africa Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region V Under 20 Youth Games which begin in Bulawayo this week.
The Region V Games, in which 11 countries from the southern African region are set to compete in eight sporting disciplines, are the biggest multi-sports event the country has been tasked with hosting since the 1995 All Africa Games.
“I can confirm that the Mbada Diamonds Cup, which was set to be held at the end of this year has been officially called off as we felt that by going ahead with the games we would create a counter-attraction to the Region V Games and the (ZANU PF) congress, so we have decided that it be held next year as the premier league season opener,” said Phiri.
The PSL boss however stressed that nothing had changed in terms of the prize money for the tournament in which only four teams will take part.
The winners are set to get $50 000, while the runners up get $30 000.
The two losing semi-finalists are set to pocket $15 000, with the rest of the clubs which participated in the Castle Lager Premier league getting $10 000 each.
“It remains a four team tournament and there are no changes to anything in terms of what was announced during the launch of the tournament except for the dates and we still remain confident that it will be a success,” added Phiri.
The top four finishers in the just ended Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL), namely Dynamos who won the league championship, ZPC Kariba, who were runners-up in the Castle lager Premier Soccer league, third-placed finishers Caps United and FC Platinum, who ended the season in fourth place, are set to take part in the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
Of the four teams, only Dynamos have previously won the Mbada Diamonds Cup, the Glamour Boys having claimed the 2011 and 2012 editions of the tournament.
In the inaugural Mbada Diamonds Cup tournament in 2011, which was at that time the biggest Cup tournament in the country, Dynamos beat Motor Action 1-0 in the final played at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.
In the 2012 final, Dynamos beat one-time premier league winners Monomotapa 2-0.
Last year’s tournament was won by Bulawayo giants Highlanders, who crushed crosstown rivals How Mine 3-0 in the final which was played at Barbourfields Stadium. The Zimbabwe Mail
