Zimbabwe: Mandava Stadium to Host Season Opening Castle Challenge Cup

REIGNING Premier Soccer League champions FC Platinum and Chibuku Super Cup winners Bulawayo Chiefs will get the 2023 season underway when they face off in the Castle Challenge Cup at Mandava Stadium on March 11.

The Castle Challenge Cup which the league introduced in 2017 features Castle Lager Premiership champions and Chibuku Super Cup winners.

Bulawayo Chiefs earned the Castle Challenge Cup ticket against four-time Premiership champions after beating Herentals 1-0 in the final of the country's premier knockout football competition courtesy of an Arthur Musiyiwa strike.

Bulawayo Chiefs will however be missing Musiyiwa's services in the Castle Challenge Cup as he has joined Dynamos.

The PSL decided to move this year's Castle Challenge Cup to Mandava after the previous edition was played at Barbourfields Stadium in March 2020.

FC Platinum have dominated the Castle Challenge Cup, winning all the editions.

The Zvishavane side beat Harare City 2-1 in the inaugural edition and retained the trophy in 2018 with a 2-0 win against Triangle United.

The Castle Challenge Cup was not held in 2019 as the PSL resolved to have the competition being played before the start of the season, hence the 2020 edition that featured FC Platinum and Highlanders.

FC Platinum beat Highlanders 2-0 to lift the 2020 edition which had a $400 000 winners' prize with Bosso taking home $250 000.

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe

Photo: New Zimbabwe