Copa Centenario de la AFA

The Copa Centenario de la AFA was an official Argentine football cup competition^[1] contested by teams playing in Primera División. The championship was organized by the Argentine Football Association in 1993 in order to celebrate its 100th anniversary.^[2] The winner of this tournament was the Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP), who defeated River Plate in the final match.

History

Its model being based on the Coppa Italia, or the Spanish Copa del Rey, all the squads of Primera División who participated in the 1992–93 season (except for Talleres de Córdoba and San Martín de Tucumán), played home and away matches with their classic rivals ('derby matches') during the first phase. Afterwards, teams played two other rounds (winners' and losers' bracket), following a system of "double elimination".

Gimnasia y Esgrima was the winner on the winners' bracket, while River Plate won the losers' bracket. The final match was played in January 1994 at Gimnasia's venue, Carmelo Zerillo Stadium. Gimnasia needed to win the match to become the champion, while River Plate had to defeat El Lobo in two opportunities, as River Plate had accessed to the final by winning the losers' round. However, an additional match became unnecessary, as Gimnasia defeated River by 3–1, thereby winning the only edition of the Copa Centenario. This Cup constitutes until today one of the two official titles that Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) has won in the Argentine top-division competitions, the other one being the 1929 Primera División championship. These conquests are celebrated with the "two stars" often displayed on the team's jerseys.

As winners of the Copa Centenario, Gimnasia y Esgrima had the privilege to play the friendly Sanwa Bank Cup against the champion of 1994 Japanese League, the Verdy Kawasaki. That game finished in a 2–2 draw, and it was decided on penalties, Verdy Kawasaki being the winners.