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Norman Mapeza

Mukudzei Chingwere in GWERU and Munyaradzi Doma in ZVISHAVANE
THE FC Platinum club executive have solidly put their weight behind coach Norman Mapeza’s troops to help them withstand the pressure of fighting for the Premier Soccer League. They say this is no longer a team but club effort as they push for the league’s ultimate prize in their blockbuster showdown against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Mandava this afternoon.

FC Platinum could be crowned champions should they win this match and Dynamos fail to get maximum points in their game against Bantu Rovers in Bulawayo. With two games to go and having a two-point cushion over Ngezi Platinum and second-placed Dynamos, the Zvishavane-based club, from the executive, fans and stakeholders, has converged behind their coach Mapeza as he embarks on the final assault of the league title.

They are in a very strong position to win the title this season as they only need two wins from their remaining two matches to be guaranteed the championship this year despite what happens in the other title matches. They can still seal the championship this afternoon with a victory against Ngezi Platinum, coupled with a defeat or draw for Dynamos away to Bantu Rovers.

The miners have managed 18 wins this season and their supporters will be forgiven to think that only two wins at home to Ngezi and away to Chapungu is guaranteed. But the intimidating presence of Dynamos in the title matrix, with the Glamour Boys gatecrashing the title charge last weekend, is sure to give FC Platinum sleepless nights despite their position at the top of the standings.

Despite collecting maximum points away to Tsholotsho on Wednesday, where they were uncharacteristically below par in terms of performance, they believe they can get it right this time around. “We are in this together, everybody involved with the team in whatever position is behind the team,” said FC Platinum spokesperson Chido Chizondo.

“We know that against Ngezi Platinum it will not be any easy game, they still have a chance of winning the title and they will do everything in their capacity to get maximum points. The entire club executive, fans and stakeholders are fully behind the team and we have assured the team of our full support ahead of the match.

“We are not expecting a bad result in the game, we have maximum confidence in our coach and the entire team that they have the capacity to win at home. The players are also motivated to get the job done and like I said before we are also very confident of their capabilities. I also want to call on the supporters to come in their numbers to cheer the team.”

In terms of statistics, there is very little to choose between the two sides. In the three league matches they have played against each other they have both won one game apiece and the other ended in a stalemate. But Ndiraya’s man boast of a Cup final victory over Mapeza’s men when they humbled them 3-1 last year to lift the country’s premier knockout competition, Chibuku Super Cup, in Ngezi.

Mapeza said his men, who traveled to Bulawayo on Tuesday for a date with Tsholotsho the following day, will have to battle fatigue. “I think we had the same scenario when we played Highlanders last time, we played on a Sunday and we came back home and played on a Wednesday against Shabanie,’’ he said.

“We are in the same situation, I think the most important thing is to make sure that after the game against Tsholotsho the players get enough rest. That’s the most important thing otherwise if we push, push and push, by the time we play against Ngezi, the guys will be exhausted. We have to manage our recovery periods very well so that when we play against Ngezi, the boys would be sharp and raring to go.’’

Mapeza also added that while some may question their team selection, the technical team is best placed to know which player should play or not. “If you rest someone people will say why didn’t he play, if he plays they will ask why didn’t you give him rest. Sometimes it’s for us the coaches to decide, here we have a technical team, we sit down, we plan for our next matches. We will think that in this game we need so and so to play, we have to do the changes,” he said.