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Norman Mapeza

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
NORMAN Mapeza has written a stunning success story in knock-out competitions since his return to the trenches of football coaching, guiding FC Platinum to three victories in as many matches, including an impressive six-goal destruction of CAPS United in the ZNA Charities final.
The former Warriors skipper started his journey with a 3-0 win over Bantu Rovers in the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup and then elbowed CAPS United out of the quarter-finals at Mandava with his in-form side dominating a tie they won 1-0.

Mapeza’s last dance with the domestic Premiership came at the end of the 2008 season when he lifted the league championship trophy, having led modest Monomotapa to a remarkable success story in which they beat the challenge of giants Dynamos to be crowned kings of local football.

He lifted the ZNA Charities Cup after his team turned on the power to hammer the Green Machine 6-0 in their stand-out performance of the season, but he knows that the all-inclusive Chibuku Super Cup represents a bigger achievement.

Today he leads his men into a semi-final showdown against giant-killers Black Rhinos at Rufaro — just seven days after they caught the imagination of many neutrals with their polished display as they ended Harare City’s unbeaten run with a 2-0 league win.

“Black Rhinos have improved since Mathuthu (Jostein) took over and when we beat him in Kadoma it was in the dying minutes of the match,” Mapeza, a popular coach with many neutrals across the country, told The Saturday Herald.

“Every coach and player wants to reach a cup final and win it and that is our desire. I am working hard to get to the final and see what happens.”

His ’keeper Petros Mhari said they wanted to win the Cup for their coach.

“We respect Black Rhinos like any other team in the Premiership, but that does not mean that we fear them,” said Mhari.

“We are not afraid of any team in the Premiership.

“We want to lift our second trophy with our beloved coach Mapeza. I am very confident that we are going to be in the finals by end of day on Saturday.”

Mhari has been captaining the team in the absence of injury-prone defender Daniel Veremu who has spent most of his time on the sidelines.

FC Platinum’s deputy skipper Thabani Kamusoko, who missed last week’s 2-0 win over Harare City due to suspension, is expected to be available for selection.

Apart from long-term injury concern Winston Mhango, who is expected in the fold next season, and the duo of Stephen Sibanda and the explosive Marshall Mudehwe, FC Platinum were also keeping their fingers crossed over the fitness of Qadr Amin who was expected to take a fitness test before departure yesterday.

Rhinos forward Lot Chiwunga is confident the army outfit will put behind them their league woes.

Despite coming into this match on the back of three successive losses, Rhinos are drawing inspiration from their performance in the early matches in this tournament.

Chauya Chipembere have made a huge impact in this tournament after dumping favourites Dynamos in the first round before registering the biggest win when they crushed Triangle 4-0 in the quarter-finals.

“Our aim is to proceed to the final and probably win this tournament. In fact, this should be our tournament.

“Personally, I believe with God everything is possible.

“We only need to be confident going into this match. We have to leave behind what we have been going through in the other matches. Definitely we are not going to be relegated and I am sure no one is worrying about that.

“Winning this Cup should be a big boost in that fight.

“So, we are looking forward to go all the way to the final. In fact Rhinos last won silverware long ago and we are cherishing the good prospects that lie ahead of us.

“Morale is high in the camp and with the way we have been training this week I just hope that we will be able to transform the form to the field of play,” said Chiwunga.

Rhinos edged Dynamos 1-0 in the first round at Gwanzura in the first round.

Chiwunga then fired them to a convincing 4—0 win over Triangle when he grabbed a double at Ascot, with Milton Kurewa and Wonder Kapinda also weighing in with a goal each.

The soldiers, however, will again have to do without defender Obey Gada who was red-carded in the first round after engaging in a fist fight with Dynamos’ Rodreck Mutuma.

But FC Platinum have been tricky opponents in their clashes with the soldiers this year.

The platinum miners triumphed 1-0 when the teams last met in a league match at Rimuka courtesy of Zambian forward Obrey Chirwa’s strike.

The first leg at Mandava had ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Mandava when Gada gifted the hosts with the equaliser after beating his own goalkeeper Jonathan Zvaita.

FC Platinum have been on a steady rise since the arrival of Mapeza in August. Chiwunga, however, said they were ready to battle.

“No doubt FC Platinum are a good team, they usually thrive on a passing game so we have to be on guard. We need to press hard so that they don’t play the ball around.

“But I remember the last time we played them we had so many scoring opportunities which we failed to utilise. I hope this time around we will be more precise,” said Chiwunga.