Mbada Diamonds Cup
The Mbada Diamonds Cup is a Zimbabwean football tournament launched in 2011. The tournament is one of the most prestigious in the history of football in Zimbabwe and is heavily sponsored. Dynamos had won the competition at he first two editions in 2011 and 2012 while arch rivals Highlanders won the cup in 2013.
Founding and History
The competition was launched by a diamond mining company Mbada Diamonds (Private) Limited. The company poured a whooping 1 million dollars into the first edition in 2011.
2012 Season
The competition grew bigger and better the following with Mbada pouring US$250 000(US$100,000 plus US$150 000 for the CAF confederations Cup) .Mbada caters for all the 16 Castle Premiership teams' expenses from transport, food and accommodation. All participants were rewarded. In 2012, teams knocked out in the first round received US$10 000 while those knocked in the quarter finals received US$20,000 each. Semi finalists received US$30 while the runners up walked away with US$60,000 in addition to 30 silver medals.[1] The were also individual prices;
- Player of the tournament was awarded US$1 000
- US$1 000 for the top goal scorer
- A trophy to the goalkeeper of the tournament
- US$500 for the scorer of the last goal of the tournament
- US$500 for the player voted man the match.
2013 Season
The price money for the 2013 season doubled to US$500 000. The eight teams knocked out in the preliminary stages received a club participation fee of US$15 000 while the quarter finalists received US$30 000 each.[2] The teams that reached the semi-finals got US$45 000 each whilst the runner got US$90 000. The winner, the cream of the tournament won US$130 000. To add to the wonderful cup, for the first time in the football history of Zimbabwe, supporters paid an entry fee of only US$1.
2014 Season
In January 2014, The sponsores said that the Cup is going to comeback with a bang.
Winners
- 2011: Dynamos 1–0 Motor Action[2]
- 2012: Dynamos 2–0 Monomotapa United[3]
- 2013: Highlanders 3–0 How Mine FC
References
- ↑ George Manyaya,Mbada Diamonds Cup 2012 Launch Speech, Published: 13 Sep 2012, Retrieved: 6 May 2014
- ↑ Grace Chingoma, 2013 Mbada Diamonds Cup launched, 'Nehanda Radio, Published: 14 Sept 2013, Retrieved: 9 May 2014
