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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter

FC Platinum will be on the road for the third game on the trot but the reigning Castle Lager Premiership champions are not daunted as they face log leaders Chicken Inn in a top-of-the table clash at Luveve tomorrow. 

The platinum miners, who made two trips to Mutare to play Cranborne Bullets and Tenax at Sakubva in their last two outings, are set to proceed to Bulawayo this weekend. 

Mapeza told sports journalists at the pre-match conference that they are looking forward to the trip after recovering both physically and psychologically from the recent travelling.

They played Tenax at Sakubva last Sunday and won 2-0 courtesy of goals from Blessing Moyo and Lawrence Mhlanga. 

“Of course travelling is always taxing. If you play on a Saturday, it’s okay because you will have two days of rest but if you play on a Sunday it means you only have a day to rest and then Tuesday you start training. 

“But at the end of the day I can’t complain because in the first half of the season we had two games at home so definitely we knew we were going to have the first two games away from home in the second half of the season.

“But it’s all about mental strength. It’s all about how you prepare yourselves. Psychologically, I think we are ready for that. We have prepared well. So on Saturday we will be away again to Chicken Inn. 

“But like I said, what is important is for us to go there with a positive mind, a positive attitude and the desire to come back home with a positive result,” said Mapeza.

FC Platinum are on a five —match winning run. They won three of the matches away from their Mandava home ground. The Zvishavane side find themselves in a top-of-the-table clash with the Gamecocks on the back of their fine performances. 

They trail Chicken Inn by one point after they took their tally to 37 points following the win at Tenax. Mapeza, however, remains practical that there’s still a long way to go in the race. 

“Not taking away anything from Chicken Inn. Joey Antipas and his technical team have been doing well. They have been doing a fantastic job but Saturday’s game won’t determine the destiny of the championship. 

“Dynamos are still in the mix. Manica Diamonds, Triangle and Ngezi Platinum are also still in the mix. Anything can happen. It’s a game of football but what is important is we are running our own race. We just need to put more focus on what we are doing as a club,” said Mapeza. 

Fixtures

Saturday: ZPC Kariba v Yadah (Nyamhunga Stadium), Black Rhinos v Herentals (Vengere), Harare City v CAPS United (National Sports Stadium), Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Luveve)

Sunday: Ngezi Platinum Stars v Highlanders (Baobab), Dynamos v Triangle (National Sports Stadium), Bulawayo Chiefs v Cranborne Bullets (Luveve), Manica Diamonds v Bulawayo City (Sakubva), Whawha v Tenax (Ascot)