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Mukudzei Chingwere Sports Reporter
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza says his men face a challenging task in the upcoming CAF Champions League campaign with his charges set to start their continental sojourn on an artificial surface on Wednesday afternoon away to CNaPS Sport of Madagascar.

The Premiership kings take on the Indian Ocean islanders at the artificial turf of Centre des Loisirs de la CNaPS Vontovorona in Madagascar and are expected to leave the country today to start the 2018/ 2019 continental adventure.

The miners fell out of Africa’s premier club knock-out competition at the first hurdle last time-out but have set themselves an ambitious mini league participation. FC Platinum took their players to the artificial turf of the ZIFA Village in Mt Hampden as part of efforts to get them used to the kind of venue that they will find in Madagascar.

After the training session, their last before departure, Mapeza recalled the horror situation he once faced seven years ago when he led the senior men national soccer team away to Cape Verde Islands and was hoping his men will not be subjected the dangers of the African wilderness in Madagascar.

Back then Zimbabwe lost 2-1 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier but Mapeza will hope to come out tops to boost their chances of making it beyond the first hurdle.

Mapeza said their work is more cut-out given they will play on a “difficult” surface. “It is always difficult to play on an artificial turf we are just coming from training now, usually you can tell everybody will be pushing in the first 40 minutes or so but after that it is always difficult.

“Especially when it is hot and humid, those granules bring so much heat it is always difficult to play on an artificial turf I do not want to lie.

“The videos I have been watching (of CNaPS matches) the guys have bandages on their knees which shows it is not easy playing on that turf.

“One thing I have picked up is that the ball moves very quicker and we need to manage the way we pass the ball around.

“As for the weather you cannot manage, I remember the last time we went to Cape Verde with the national team it was hot and the pitch was an artificial turf, the guys were not drinking water they were pouring it in their boots, the situation was just terrible, I just hope we do not face that scenario when we get to Madagascar.

“The majority of the players are using those boots that you see on television but they are meant for European weather, but now what can I do we just need to go there and try to adjust,” said Mapeza. Commenting on the technical ability of the opponents, Mapeza said “they are not a very good side neither are they a bad side’’.

Just like FC Platinum the Malagasy outfit could not go beyond the first hurdle early this year, but they come into this competition buoyed by the exploits of their national team which became the first country to qualify for the 2019 AFCON finals.

“We have been watching some of their games they are not a bad side neither (are they) a good side, as you are aware the Malagasy side just qualified for AFCON it shows there is massive development in their country.

“I also understand they have so many guys who are involved with the national team, like I said they are not a very good side in their last games they have been playing in the CAF Champions league they have been going out in the first round.

“Like us I think they are in a learning processing, we just hope when we get there we will get a positive result,” said Mapeza.