THE MTN8 final today is set to be a grand festival of celebration of the huge impact Zimbabwe has had on South African football, with seven Warriors having a direct interest in its outcome at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
It’s an historic occasion — the decider being held in South Africa’s biggest and historic township in the year the iconic Orlando Stadium celebrates the 60th anniversary since its gates were first opened.
It’s also the 45th final of this knock-out tournament reserved for the clubs which would have finished in Super Diski’s top eight the previous season since the first one was held in 1972.
Orlando Pirates, the giants who use the Orlando Stadium as their home, were the debut winners back when the tournament was still called the BP Top8.
Since then, the tournament — just like the stadium itself — has undergone a lot of transformation, with South African Airways once coming on board as sponsors before MTN took over in 2008.
It was also the same year the Orlando Stadium underwent a major R280 million facelift to convert it as a training ground for teams ahead of the 2010 World Cup finals held in South Africa.
It’s a place that holds a special place in South African history as it was central to the landmark events of June 16, 1976, when thousands of black students marched to the Orlando Stadium in protest over being ordered to learn Afrikaans language.
That march sparked the Soweto Uprising, a key phase in the Rainbow Nation’s battle against apartheid.
Today’s battle for silverware, and the R8 million prize that comes with winning the trophy will have a distinct Zimbabwean flavour in yet another advertisement of the influence local football has had on Super Diski.
Kaitano Tembo could become the first Zimbabwean coach to win the tournament should SuperSport United triumph, and in the process, cast away the demons of their failure at the same stage last year.
The 49-year-old gaffer picked a losers’ medal back then at the Moses Mabidha Stadium after his men froze in the penalty shootout and were beaten by Cape Town City in the lottery, with the match having ended in a 1-1 draw.
Kaitano’s SuperSport United team has a strong Zimbabwean influence, with goalkeeper Washington Arubi, defender Onismor Bhasera, midfielder Kuda Mahachi and striker Evans Rusike being part of the team’s squad.
Their opponents, Highlands Park, also have a Zimbabwean influence with veteran goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini and striker Tendai Ndoro being part of their squad.
Kapini has just returned from injury, while Ndoro is being praised by his coach Owen Da Gama.
A victory for SuperSport United could see Kaitano all but securing a contract extension as coach of Matsatsansa after club chief executive Stan Matthews said the Zimbabwean gaffer has to win a knockout tournament and at least finish in the top four to retain his job.State media
