HARARE – Unbeaten premiership log leaders Highlanders have been drawn to play defending champions Bulawayo Chiefs in the First Round of the 2023 Chibuku Super Cup.
The draw was conducted at Mandel Training Centre in Harare on Wednesday.
The top eight teams in the current premiership race as per Week 17 were seeded and will play at home.
Highlanders would be keen to revenge last year’s quarter final defeat by their city neighbours in the country’s richest knockout tournament.
Chiefs went on to win the cup, its first ever silverware since joining the country’s topflight football in 2013.
In other first round fixtures to look forward to, on-and-off giants Dynamos face former head coach Tonderai Ndiraya’s Simba Bhora.
The Harare giants who trail log leaders by nine points going into the second round of the premiership race, could be thinking of laying a serious challenge for the Chibuku Cup as chances of winning the 2023 league championship now hang in the balance.
The country’s most successful football club has never won the Chibuku Cup since its inception few years ago.
Struggling premiership giants Caps United also have the difficult job of beating tricky opponents Hwange before they could start entertaining hopes of clinching the trophy itself.
The famous Cup Kings have had a difficult first half of the premiership campaign and could fancy a chance to climb the medals podium this season as winners of the prestigious trophy.
Two-time Chibuku Cup champions FC Platinum will know their opponents after a preliminary play-off clash between Yadah and Cranborne Bullets.
Manica Diamonds clash winners of the preliminary match to be played between Sheasham and Black Rhinos.
The playoffs are set to be played among the four bottom placed teams going into Week 17 of the current premiership race.
In other matches, Ngezi Platinum date Triangle United while the clash between 2022 losing finalists Herentals and ZPC Kariba completes the first round menu of fixtures.
The preliminary round of fixtures are set to be played on 9 August 2023 while first round matches will be played on the weekend of 12-13 August 2023.
Quarter Finals shall be played between 23 and 24 September with semi-finals slated for 28-29 October.
The final has been set for 25 November with the winner of the trophy set to pocket US$75,00 and the sole ticket to represent the country in the CAF Confederations Cup.
First Round Fixtures
Highlanders v Bulawayo Chiefs
Ngezi Platinum v Triangle United
Manica Diamonds v Sheasham/Black Rhinos
Dynamos v Simba Bhora
Chicken Inn v Green Fuel
FC Platinum v Yadah/ Cranborne Bullets
Caps United v Hwange
Herentals v ZPC Kariba
Dates
Preliminary Round: 09 August 2023
Round One: 12-13 August 2023
Quarter Finals: 23-24 September 2023
Semi Finals: 28-29 October 2023
Final: 25 November 2023
