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Norman Mapeza

Mukudzei Chingwere Midlands Bureau
Premiership kings FC Platinum have ended weeks of speculation and anxiety by registering a 28-man squad which coach Norman Mapeza believes has the capacity to secure their target of a Champions League group stage appearance.

FC Platinum, set to mark only their second dance with the Champions League, having previously participated in the 2012 edition in which they were eliminated in the first round stage by Sudanese giants El Merreikh.

The Zvishavane miners beat the Confederation of African Football’s December 31 deadline by submitting a list that is laced with nine new faces from the side that made domestic history by ending a 51-year wait for a team from outside Harare and Bulawayo to win the Premiership crown.

There had been a lot of speculation and anxiety as Mapeza and his technical crew assessed a host of players, local and foreign before he eventually decided to fill in 28 of their allotted 30 slots at least for now.

As they drafted their final list for submission to CAF, Mapeza and his lieutenants wielded the axe on 2017 non-performers like Takesure Chinyama who failed to live to his reputation and experience and scored just once all season.

There was no comeback too for Donald Ngoma who had been linked with a return to FC Platinum following a stint in Tanzania. Instead, Mapeza has placed faith in new arrivals — Albert Eonde of Cameroon and Zambian Shadreck Mayembe to combine with the likes of Soccer Star of the year Rodwell Chinyengetere, Gift Mbweti and Charles Sibanda in fronting the FC Platinum attack.

The champions also sealed the deals to bring midfielders Rahman Kutsanzira and Liberty Chakoroma, who have some experience with continental football. Kutsanzira arrives from former champions Highlanders while Chakoroma whose stock has been rising with each season was recruited from Ngezi Platinum.

Ghanaian trialist forward Ibrahim Dauda, did not make the cut amid revelations that Mapeza reckoned that the West African was more an offensive midfielder and not the out and out striker he was looking for.

Speedy winger Marshall Mudehwe is also a surprise inclusion on the squad with his registration ending speculation that the former Warriors fringe player was headed for a move to Dynamos to reunite with former coaches Lloyd Mutasa and Biggie Zuze.

Big defender Lawrence Mhlanga who spent the entire 2017 season sidelined by a contractual dispute with Chicken Inn will now bounce back into action with FC Platinum after he made it on the Champions League squad.

Mhlanga is joined by on-loan right-back Jameson Mukombwe among the new defenders on FC Platinum’s books.

ZIFA had on Saturday also helped Mhlanga’s cause when they ruled that the player was free to join a club of his choice. The other players who were not part of the championship winning side include Kelvin Madzongwe, Never Tigere, Nigel Papias who returned from a loan stint with relegated Bantu Rovers as well as goalkeeper Collin Phiri whose loan spell at another doomed side, Hwange also ended. But contract rebel Ian Nekati who has set his sights on securing a move out of the country has been dropped and if he fails to land a contract in South Africa might have to look for a club elsewhere in the domestic league.

FC Platinum assistant coach Lizwe Sweswe said they had altered the areas they felt were weak and were also optimistic that their team will reach at least the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.

“I think what is important for this competition is to have adequate preparations and we will be working hard to be prepared for the tournament. With what is already at our disposal we have the capacity to reach the group stages and we will continue working hard to achieve that.

“We submitted a list of players we wanted to the executive but I have not yet seen the final list submitted to CAF. But in terms of our squad we already had a very good squad which managed to win the championship but they are few areas we feel needed reinforcements for us to be able to play continental football,” Sweswe said.

“In modern football when you are talking of a striker you just need someone who can score goals and if we can get good goal scorers we are home and dry. What is important now is for the new arrivals to understand the culture of FC Platinum and adjust to our playing style.

“In terms of quality Shadreck and Albert are good and they can come with an important dimension that will complement what we already have and hopefully they together with those players we retained should be able to score more goals for the team,” said Sweswe.

FC Platinum spokesperson Chido Chizondo said they would add more players to the squad if the need arose. Chiizondo said they had acted on the recommendations of their technical department and were confident they have a good enough side to go beyond the early rounds.

“We have sent in 28 players and there is room to add more players since CAF allow up to 30 but for now we will work with that list, special cases will be treated as the situation arises.

“Basing on the coaches’ recommendations, the players we have retained and the new acquisitions should be in a position to take us through to the group stages. But going to the group stages will not be about individuals but team work at all levels from players, technical department, executive, various stakeholders including sponsors, supporters and the media,” said Chizondo.

FC Platinum Squad:

Goalkeepers: Francis Tizayi, Petros Mhari, Wallace Magalane, Collin Phiri

Defenders: Raphael Muduviwa, Jameson Mukombwe, Elvis Moyo, Kelvin Moyo, William Sitima, Gift Bello, Lawrence Mhlanga

Midfielders: Winston Mhango, Nqobizitha Masuku, Liberty Chakoroma, Never Tigere, Kelvin Madzongwe, Marshall Mudehwe, Hillary Bakacheza, Rahman Kutsanzira, Rodwell Chinyengetere, Bret Amidu, Ali Sadiki

Strikers: Mkhokheli Dube, Gift Mbweti, Albert Eonde, Shadreck Mayembe, Nigel Papias, Charles Sibanda