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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

AT this juncture, it is not off beam to conclude that the 2021-22 Castle Lager Premiership football season is now decided with FC Platinum set to lay their hands on a fourth consecutive league title, after the Zvishavane side edged closer to the dream at the weekend.

Some football pundits had already crowned them champions even before the weekend’s games, judging by the way their rivals have been slackening in the title race.

And now with the nearest rivals Chicken Inn and Dynamos having virtually thrown in the towel, the platinum miners can now afford to dream big as they now need only eight points from the last six games to clinch the title.

However, FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza told journalists the Zvishavane side are not concerned about the statistics despite going on an unbeaten run stretching 15 games in the league competition.

Their 1-0 win over Bulawayo City at Mandava on Saturday gave Mapeza’s side a healthy cushion at the top. FC Platinum now lead the log table with 61 points. They are followed by Chicken Inn, who are a distant 10 points away after they beat Whawha 1-0 at Luveve on Saturday. Dynamos dropped into third place after suffering an agonising 1-0 defeat to Ngezi Platinum Stars in front of their agitated supporters at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the statistics pointing to another glorious season for FC Platinum, who are also gunning for the Chibuku Super Cup after storming into the semi-finals, Mapeza has no intentions of slowing down.

“I don’t want to talk about numbers,” he said.

“I’d rather talk about the games that we play. This numbers thing is for you guys (journalists). For me it’s about taking each game as it comes.

“I’m not even counting what’s going on. What I am concerned with is to make sure I go out there, get maximum points then we concentrate on our next match because if I go home now and start to think how many goals we have scored and who has scored then I may lose it. Now my main focus is on the Highlanders game,” said Mapeza.

FC Platinum have an interesting date with Bulawayo giants Highlanders at Barbourfields in their next assignment.

The platinum miners, who won the last three campaigns, have been in good form ever since they recovered from a slump that saw them lose once in seven games at some point during the first half of the season.

Mapeza feels he owes a lot to the FC Platinum supporters who have strongly rooted behind them even when the chips were down, just like on Saturday when they laboured to beat lowly Bulawayo City.

“I think our fans have been fantastic to us. Even when young Oscar (Bhebhe) was not doing well, they never said anything bad. Even when I took him out, maybe they understood that the young man was struggling.

“So they knew exactly where we were coming from and where we’re going. What is important now is for us to be more united in these coming six coming games.

“I think these are the six games of our lives so what is important is for them to maintain whatever they have been doing so that we can see off this journey in a good way,” said Mapeza.

Mathematically, Chicken Inn and Dynamos still have faint hopes in the race. But it is just inconceivable that the gap will be narrowed down.

The platinum miners have benefited largely from the inconsistencies of their rivals. In his usual honest assessment, Chicken Inn’s Joey Antipas said it would need a miracle for FC Platinum to lose the championship race.

“The mountain is too high to climb now so we are just trying to cement the gains we have so far and make sure we don’t lose second position.

“Look, it’s not like I am throwing in the towel but if you consider that we are 10 points behind the log leaders with just six games to play, then you get to understand this.

“These days, miracles don’t happen in football. The gap is just too big but we have to make sure we finish strongly. We suffered from lack of consistency. I thought we did well in the first half of the season but we couldn’t keep up the pace,” said Antipas.

Dynamos’ Ndiraya also ruled out his Glamour Boys, who last won major silverware back in 2014.

“Is it still possible?” asked Ndiraya.

“It’s no longer in our hands. We are 11 points behind with about six games to go. So it’s difficult,” he said.

“We really wanted to keep putting pressure on FC Platinum and that couldn’t happen. So we have to reorganise ourselves, keep pushing and we will see where we can finish the season at,” said Ndiraya.

Fixtures

Friday: Yadah v Tenax (NSS)

Saturday: Black Rhinos v Harare City (Vengere), Ngezi Platinum v ZPC Kariba (Baobab), Herentals v Cranborne Bullets (NSS), Bulawayo City v Chicken Inn (Barbourfields), Whawha v Bulawayo Chiefs (Ascot)

Sunday: Highlanders v FC Platinum (Barbourfields), Manica Diamonds v Dynamos (Sakubva), CAPS Utd v Triangle (NSS)