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Mukudzei Chingwere Sports Reporter
FC PLATINUM coach Norman Mapeza believes that this year’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer league title race will be between Ngezi Platinum and his defending champions.

Addressing the media in Zvishavane ahead of their clash against Dynamos in the capital on Sunday, Mapeza said the arrangement where Ngezi Platinum will play a day before will put his men under pressure.

The Mhondoro miners have what looks like a winnable fixture on Saturday against Bulawayo City, a day before second-placed FC Platinum take to the field against DeMbare.

Yesterday Mapeza singled out Tonderai Ndiraya’s men as their biggest threat.

“My wish was that we play these games on the same day, us and Ngezi Platinum and other teams in the league,” he said.

“But that is how the fixtures have been arranged and the problem is that when Ngezi win on Saturday we will be trailing by six points which gives us pressure.

“We need to maintain that gap, we do not want the gap to get bigger and so it means we play the game with some kind of pressure that we do not want the gap to grow any bigger.

“But there is nothing we can do as the fixtures were this way.”

Mapeza said they were ready to take on the Glamour Boys.

“We know the challenges we are going to face against Dynamos and after that result last week their supporters will be behind everyone, their thinking is that they have started winning matches.

“Like I said, physically and mentally, we are ready for the challenge, we just have to go there and play our normal game with a positive mind,” said Mapeza.

The champions come to Rufaro buoyed by their recent impressive run against the Harare giants where they have collected six points from them in the past two seasons.

Dynamos have also had a bad start to the campaign, but the miners technical department have repeatedly warned they will not take that into consideration.