Zaka Girls Ready to Shine at LM Auctioneers Football Festival
ZAKA’S young female footballers have one more night to wait before the inaugural LM Auctioneers Girls Soccer Festival gets underway at St Joseph High School in Jerera tomorrow.
Eight teams will compete in a tournament that gives schoolgirls from across the district an opportunity to test their football skills, with trophies, medals and individual awards up for grabs.
The opening matches kick off at 7:40am, with hosts St Joseph facing Mutimwi High on Pitch A, while Mutsambwa High take on Dzoro High on Pitch B.
LM Auctioneers founder and managing director Lewis Muzhara, who is financing the tournament, said he wanted girls from rural communities to enjoy opportunities often associated with schools in bigger towns and cities.
“We want to give our rural girls a platform to showcase talent and also talk about issues affecting them,” Muzhara told NewsDay Sport.
“This festival is about creating a platform for young girls to showcase their talent, dream big and be inspired.”
St Joseph, Mutimwi, Chimbwembwe and Magura will compete in Group A, while Group B features Mutsambwa, Dzoro, Maningi Youth Soccer Academy and Rudhanda.
Hosts St Joseph and Mutsambwa are the seeded teams.
The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals at 1pm, with the championship match scheduled for 3pm.
All eight teams will receive playing kits from LM Auctioneers.
The champions will collect a trophy and 25 gold medals, while the runners-up will receive a trophy and 25 silver medals.
Outstanding players will also be recognised, with awards for the top goalscorer, best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, young player and player of the tournament.
Coaches and teams will compete for additional honours, including Fair Play and Most Disciplined Team awards.
Local tournament chairperson and St Joseph sports director Blessed Matereke said the competition would allow younger players to learn from their more experienced counterparts.
“This is a place where the juniors and the seniors come together to showcase their talent,” he said.
Football will not be the only activity on the programme.
Organisers have arranged discussions on mental health, drug and alcohol abuse and reproductive health under the theme “No to Drugs, Mental Health Has No Boundaries”.
The sessions will give participants an opportunity to discuss challenges affecting girls in their communities.
Registration begins at 6:30am, followed by the official opening at 7am and an aerobics session led by Sir Charles Fitness Multi Sports Club.
The festival is open to school-going girls born in 2005 or later.
With the draw completed and the opening fixtures confirmed, the attention now shifts to the young players who will make the first edition their own.
