Zimbabwe: Zifa Launches Munhumutapa Challenge Cup Valued At U.S.$25 Million

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Soccer ball in a stadium.
5 March 2026
New Zimbabwe (London)

The Zimbabwe Football Association has launched the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup worth US$25 million.

The tournament will run for five years with an annual disbursement of US$5,000.00.

With both male and female participants, the tournament will see professional teams from lower divisions competing alongside top-flight league teams, using the model of the English Premier League's FA Cup.

An estimated 1,000 teams are set to compete, with the tournament also featuring social teams.

According to ZIFA, the tournament is coming in to fill a void left by the ZIFA Unity Cup, which became defunct in 2007.

Speaking during the launch, President Emerson Mnangagwa, the guest of honour, said the initiative marks a significant milestone in Zimbabwean football's growth.

"The initiative represents an innovative and groundbreaking structure for our country's soccer.

"I want to congratulate ZIFA and all stakeholders for working hard to come up with this.

"This initiative is an essential building block towards a football sector that is interconnected in the broader national transformation," he said.

The tournament is expected to run throughout the season and a draw is set to be conducted in April for its kickoff.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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