Mapeza and his men remain calm

By Mukudzei Chingwere

Premiership leaders FC Platinum’s executive say they will not put their coaching staff and players under pressure ahead of their blockbuster league match against Airforce side Chapungu at Ascot on Saturday. 

The Zvishavane miners could be the first team outside the country’s two big cities, Harare and Bulawayo, to be crowned league champions in more than half a century.

All they need is to win their final match against the Airforce side. They could even lose that game and win the league title in the event DeMbare fail to win their match against Chicken Inn on Saturday.

DeMbare, who enjoy a superior goal difference, are waiting on the wings to gatecrash the title party if Norman Mapeza and his troops fail to withstand the pressure and crumble at the last hurdle.

The platinum miners have often crumbled under the weight of expectations when they have shown promise that they can win the league’s ultimate prize.

The executive are fully aware of that and have opted not to put their team under pressure with promises.

“We have told our players and the technical department to take the game just like any other game and not to put them under unnecessary pressure,’’ said club spokesperson Chido Chizondo.

“We have not done anything special for this game and we have just decided to take it like any other game.

“If we start promising them heaven-on-earth after they have won the league, we will put them under pressure for no reason.

“They have done very well this season and we expect them to do the same in the last match of the season.’’

Chizondo was part of the FC Platinum delegation that was in Gweru at Guinea Fowl High School where they gave their academy players a full training kit and jerseys.

The miners have a junior policy where some of their school-going players enrolled at the boarding school in Gweru.

The arrangement with the school, which started six years ago, has so far produced current Premiership players like Dynamos midfielder Cleopas Kapupurika, Blessing Sahondo, Immaculate Mawuna and Bastos Chihowa who starred at recently promoted Central Region Division One champion Nichrut

“Our senior team has been doing very well and we are happy with their progress but there is always tomorrow and we want these juniors to be developed so that they can represent the team and the nation in future.

“We have other players who came from this institution and that is why we will continue with the investment in junior football,” said Chizondo.

Jatson Maposa, a CAF B certified coach who doubles as a teacher at the institution, said their partnership with FC Platinum has helped them develop future stars.

“The players are developing very well and I am happy they are always being chosen to represent the junior national teams every year by different coaches.

“This year Moses Chunga selected three for the Under-17 national team,’’ said Maposa. The Herald