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PURE PLATINUM EXPECTATIONS . . . FC Platinum defender Gift Bello (centre) and his coach Norman Mapeza are in bullish mood ahead of their final showdown against Chapungu at Ascot tomorrow

Mukudzei Chingwere and Munyaradzi Doma in ZVISHAVANE
FORMER Dynamos defensive pillar, Gift Bello, has tipped his current employers FC Platinum to finally bring to an end their tag as bridesmaids in this year’s edition of the championship race. The platinum miners have on a number of occasions come close to winning the title but failed and now they have fate in their hands.

They only need to beat Chapungu at Ascot tomorrow and they will be champions. A draw could open a window of hope for Dynamos. Seasoned centre-back Bello was a vital cog of Callisto Pasuwa’s imperious Dynamos squad that dominated the domestic Premiership.

“Dynamos and FC Platinum are different, they all have their different spirits that motivate players going into matches. When I won the title with Dynamos, we won important matches towards the end of the season and we kept on believing that it can be done, that was the secret of our success,’’ said Bello.

“This year at FC Platinum we have done that, we have won very important matches towards the end of the season and we still believe that it can be done. We cannot be intimidated by Dynamos because we are not playing against them in the final match. We are playing against Chapungu and we just have to do well in that game and we are champions.

“Senior players and our coaches have been encouraging the younger players to concentrate on our match. Players like me cannot be intimidated by a game of football because I have been in these situations before.”

As of yesterday the FC Platinum technical department were still in a spot of bother with former championship-winning striker, Charles Sibanda, still nursing a knock which might rule him out of tomorrow’s contest. They will, however, be happy that the Chapungu influential duo Collen Kwaramba and Ian Nyoni are suspended for the final game.

The two towns, Zvishavane and Gweru, are 120km apart and the miners’ supporters are likely to come in their numbers to cheer their team to clear their final hurdle at Ascot.

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza believes the stakes are very high for his team. The former Zimbabwe international yesterday paid tribute to God for guiding his team since the beginning of the season. Mapeza added that for them to go into the last game of the season with a two-point advantage over second-placed Dynamos has not been an easy feat to accomplish.

“It’s a massive game for us as a club. I would like to thank the Almighty God for this journey, it wasn’t an easy journey. We all pray to have better things in our lives, we have been praying for this day and we will continue praying for that on Saturday,” said Mapeza.

Mapeza added that as a club they all know what is at stake.

“As a club I don’t think we are here today because of anything besides football. It’s the end of the season, we are just left with the Chapungu game on Saturday. We just have to put everything into this game if we want to be crowned champions at the end of the day.

“I don’t think there is anything stopping me from winning the championship, we just have to go to Chapungu and get the result. We know if we draw and Dynamos win then we have lost the championship. Everybody knows what is at stake, we just have to go to Chapungu and win the game,” said Mapeza.

Mapeza’s charges can win the championship even after losing against Chapungu should Dynamos fail to beat Chicken Inn at home.

Fixtures:

Tomorrow

Shabanie Mine v Yadah (Maglas), Harare City v How Mine (Rufaro), ZPC Kariba v Hwange (Nyamhunga), Tsholotsho v Black Rhinos (Dulivhadzimo), Bulawayo City v Bantu Rovers (Luveve), Ngezi Platinum v Triangle (Baobab), Highlanders v CAPS United (Barbourfields), Dynamos v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot).