The Castle Challenge Cup final will take place today as the 2023 season gets underway.
The encounter will involve the the Castle Lager Premiership champions FC Platinum and Chibuku Super Cup winners Bulawayo Chiefs.
The match will be played on Saturday 11 March at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane.
The kick-off time is at 2 pm CAT.
TV Info & Stadium Entry Charges
ZTN Prime (DStv Channel 294) will show the game live.
Soccer24 will bring live updates of the match.
Fans willing to go to the stadium will pay $1 for students in school uniform, $2 for the rest of the ground and $5 for the VIP stand.
The VVIP section
Bulawayo Chiefs Team News
Bulawayo Chiefs have included all their new signings in the matchday squad.
The Chibuku Super Cup winners signed several players including former How Mine and Harare City forward Kudakwashe Musharu, ex-Manica Diamonds and Ngezi Platinum midfielder Last Jesi and former Golden Arrows midfielder Danny Phiri.
The Bulawayo side also brought in defender William Stima, Stanson Kanye and Dalubuhle Dlodlo.
Lizwe Sweswe will head the team in his first competitive assignment after his appointment in January. It will also be his first top flight visit to Mandava after ending his spell with the Platinum Boys before the Covid-19 pandemic.
FC Platinum Team News
Coach Norman Mapeza is also rebuilding his squad after parting ways with several senior players. He’s expected to field a youthful selection in this afternoon’s match.
What The Coaches Said:
Norman Mapeza: “I think it will be a very good motivation for the boys if we manage to win the cup. I think it will give us a good insight of what to expect during the course of the season. So it’s a very important game for us as a club.”
Lizwe Sweswe: “In the short space of time that I have been at Chiefs my mandate has been to build a team that will compete in the Premier Soccer League. This game against FC Platinum in a cup final comes at a good time and it will be a measure of where we are and where we are going as a team as we go into the Premier Soccer League season.”
Competition Record
FC Platinum have won all the three previous editions of the cup, while this is Bulawayo Chiefs’ first participation.
