FC Platinum lift Chibuku Super Cup

By Don Makanyanga

FC PLATINUM…….(0)1

HARARE CITY……..(1)1

(FC Platinum win 3-1 on penalties)

FC Platinum won the Chibuku Super Cup yesterday after edging Harare City 3-1 on penalties in the final at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane. The victory meant Pure Platinum Play collected their first ever major silverware.

However, it was a fourth trophy of the season for the Zvishavane-based side, who also won three invitational cup tournaments earlier this year.

FC Platinum gaffer Norman Mapeza was over the moon with the win as he clinched his second piece of silverware with the club having also led the team to victory in the Commander ZNA’s Charities Soccer Shield in September.

“I am very happy that we have won the cup. Like I have been saying for the whole of last week that this was not going to be an easy game it turned out that way today, but the guys showed character coming from a goal down,” said Mapeza.

His counterpart Masimba Dinyero blamed the loss on poor officiating.

“We lost the game not because we were bad, but the referee played a part as he made some decisions which were against us and that killed the momentum.  PSL should do something with this kind of officiating,” said Dinyero.

Harare City enjoyed an upper hand in the opening stages of the match and were nearly rewarded in the third minute through James Jam who beat two FC Platinum defenders before watching his effort missing the target with by a few inches.

FC Platinum were the next to threaten through Obrey Chirwa whose 18th minute attempt ricocheted off the crossbar with Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu beaten all systems out.

In an end-to-end opening half, Harare City’s Talent Chawapihwa then broke loose in the 23rd minute, only to lose control of the ball on the waterlogged pitch when he was one-on-one with the FC Platinum goalkeeper.

Walter Musona had an opportunity to put the platinum miners ahead in the 32nd minute, but after beating two Harare City defenders inside the Sunshine Boys penalty area, he sent his curling effort wide.

Harare City then launched a counter raid which saw Francisco Zekumbawire coming face to face with Petros Mhari, but the big forward shot weakly at goal with the latter making an easy save.

City finally broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when Osborne Mukuradare found Chawapihwa inside the FC Platinum half and the youthful forward beat his marker for pace before slotting past an exposed Mhari.

FC Platinum almost levelled matters soon after the breather when Musona picked out Elvis Moyo inside the box, but the latter’s powerful strike was brilliantly saved by Nyamupadengu.

But just as it seemed Harare City would see out the game, FC Platinum then levelled the scores four minutes into injury time. Simon Shoko made an attempt at goal that was flicked on goalwards by Musona, resulting in a goalmouth scramble. The ball appeared to cross the line during the melee and referee Norman Matemera did not waste any time, immediately pointing to the centre circle, much to the chargrin of Harare City.

Following the contentious equaliser, the match proceeded to extra time. The extra 30 minutes were cagey with FC Platinum coming closest to clinching a winner through Donald Ngoma who was denied by Nyamupanedengu in a one-on-one situation.

The match went to the dreaded penalty shoot-out and with Harare City missing three of their first four penalties, with only Timire Mamvura converting, it was left to FC Platinum to seal the Cup win after converting three of their spot kicks with only Thabani Kamusoko missing the target. The Zimbabwe Mail