ZIFA Midlands Province Division Two side Chili FC were crowned the inaugural Octa Cup champions after defeating Kwekwe-based Manyama FC 5-2 in the final at Chahwanda Stadium on Sunday.
Chili FC secured their place in the final after edging their developmental side, Takawira FC, 1-0 in the semi-finals at Bata Stadium before producing a dominant display against Manyama FC to lift the trophy and pocket the US$7,000 winners' prize.
ZIFA Midlands Province chairperson Pervious Mathe described the tournament as a success, saying it had exceeded expectations despite being staged for the first time.
"It was an eye-catching tournament and a very successful one, even though it was the first. I am happy with the organisation," said Mathe.
He praised the standard of competition, saying both finalists had shown great determination.
"What pleases me most is the level of competition. The two clubs that reached the final, Manyama and Chili, produced a competitive match. Both sides wanted to win, but in the end there could only be one winner," he said.
ZIFA Midlands Province vice-chairperson George Sibangani also hailed the tournament, saying it had demonstrated the potential of Division Two football.
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"This is the first tournament involving Division Two sides, and we are quite impressed by the attendance and the support from all the teams that competed. Despite only one team winning, as the ZIFA Midlands Province executive we are happy to have hosted such a successful tournament," said Sibangani.
The triumph adds to an impressive season for Chili FC, who currently lead the ZIFA Midlands Province Division Two standings. The league is set to resume for its second half on August 1 following the mid-season break.
The club has also booked a place in the Round of 32 of the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, where they will face Premier Soccer League opposition.
Chili FC team manager Madzokere expressed confidence that his side would be able to compete against top-flight opposition.
"We trust the squad we have because they play attractive football. Facing PSL clubs does not put fear in us because we also train hard. You never know what the outcome will be," he said.
Meanwhile, Mathe addressed concerns raised by supporters over Chili FC and their developmental side, Takawira FC, both participating in the tournament and eventually meeting in the semi-finals.
He said the tournament organisers had followed a merit-based qualification system to complete the eight-team line-up.
"We wanted eight teams. The criteria used were the top two teams from each of the three pools, which gave us six teams. Since we needed eight teams to start at the quarter-final stage, we selected the two best third-placed teams based on merit. Gothick and Takawira were the best third-placed teams, which is why they qualified for the tournament," explained Mathe.
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