Mapeza cautiously optimistic

By Mukudzei Chingwere

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza is cautiously optimistic that his miners could write a Champions League fairytale and reach the final of African football’s biggest club knock-out tournament.

Although he was careful not to set the cart before the horse, Mapeza yesterday revealed his ambitions of guiding the Zimbabwe champions to the final of the continental competition.

Mapeza has been boasting that he has assembled a squad strong enough to match some of Africa’s best clubs.

But the FC Platinum coach wants to take it on a step-by-step basis and has insisted that his team must reach the group stage first before he thinks of winning the Champions League.

The Platinum miners are looking to emulate their predecessors CAPS United who qualified for the group stage of the competition last season.

Mapeza yesterday maintained that his Premiership kings have an equal chance of going all the way when the tournament begins next month and reach the final.

Dynamos are the only team in Zimbabwe that has achieved the feat following their performances in 1998 when they eventually lost 4-2 on aggregate to ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire.

Mapeza’s former club Monomotapa are the only other Zimbabwean side to have reached the group stage.

Asked if he can write another piece of history by winning the prestigious award on the continent, Mapeza said it can be done, but insisted the plan for now is to get to the mini league stage first.

“Yes it can be done. What is most important for us is to have belief and keep on working hard. Yes . . . it can be done, it can be done,” he said repeatedly.

“(But) like I said before the main objective is for us to go to the group stages, if we manage to go to the group stages then we can plan ahead. But for now the main objective is to go to the group stages,” Mapeza said.

“If you look at our squad now every position has two players. We plan knowing that if we manage to go to the group stages the schedule is going to be busy for us so we need to manage the Champions League as well as well as the local league games,” said Mapeza.

FC Platinum will open their campaign in the preliminary round against Primeiro de Agosto of Angola.

The champions are currently camping in Bulawayo where Mapeza addressed a press conference yesterday.

Despite winning the league’s ultimate prize last season, the platinum miners struggled in front of goal. And with that in mind, Mapeza feels he has addressed their weakest link following the arrival of two strikers in Cameroonian Albert Eonde and Zambian Shadreck Mayembe to boost their potency goal scoring.

“They are really good players. I hope so, I hope I have addressed the issue but in football you cannot tell. Like I have always said before it is not about these strikers only to score goals it is a team effort.” In an earlier interview Eonde set himself a very high bar of going all the way and clinching the Champions League with FC Platinum which his coach said it was possible.

“FC Platinum has a double challenge this year including maintaining its league title and winning the CAF Champions League. My goal here is to contribute to the achievement of these two goals,” said Eonde.

Meanwhile, Mapeza confirmed that they are going to play international friendly matches against Mozambican giants Ferroviario da Beira and Zambian sides Nkana Red Devils and Zanaco.

Mapeza also said they have lined up another friendly match with a team from Malawi but the dates for the international friendly matches are yet to be announced.

FC Platinum are also waiting with hope to be granted permission to use their Mandava by the Confederation of African Football but should that fail Mapeza said he preferred using Barbourfields. The Herald