By Ricky Zililo
Ngezi Platinum Stars will form a guard of honour for Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions, FC Platinum, when the two sides face off in the penultimate match of the season at Mandava Stadium on Saturday.
FC Platinum beat Ngezi to the championship with two games to spare, attaining an unassailable 74 points, rendering the two teams’ meeting a dead-rubber.
A victory for FC Platinum at home against Ngezi will sweeten the Zvishavane side’s celebrations as they will be presented with their trophy and medals in front of their home fans.
“The Castle Lager PSL Championship Trophy will be presented to the 2018 winners FC Platinum after their match against Ngezi Platinum Stars FC at Mandava Stadium on Saturday, 17 November, 2018.
“The runners-up, Ngezi Platinum Stars FC will also be presented with their silver medals during the same occasion,” reads a statement from the PSL.
In as much as the FC Platinum and Ngezi clash is a dead-rubber, the champions will want to claim the platinum miners’ bragging rights as they move towards attaining their next target, which is finishing the season with 80 points.
Norman Mapeza, who now has won three league titles, the 2008 championship with defunct Monomotapa and a double with FC Platinum is happy with the progress that his team has done since he took over the reins at the “Moneybags” in 2014.
“If you look at the progression of the team it has been like this since 2014, we were improving each season, last year we won on the last day, this time we have done it with two games to go.
“I told the players let us push to get to the 80-point mark, now we are on 74 and we have won but we still want to win our two remaining games,” Mapeza said.
Being a coach driven by desire to attain set goals, Mapeza is likely to field a strong side for the Ngezi encounter as well as the end of season clash against Highlanders in Bulawayo.
Besides ending the season strongly, Mapeza will use the Ngezi and Highlanders games to prepare for his team’s Caf Champions League away preliminary round fixture against CNaPS FC of Madagascar on November 27 to 28.
“The return leg is set for a week later in Zvishavane.
Should FC Platinum go past the first round, they will clash against Congolese champions AS Otoho or Agosto of Angola, a side that knocked them out of the 2018 edition of the continental competition. The Chronicle
PSL Matchday 33 Fixtures
Saturday, November 17: FC Platinum v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Mandava), Herentals v Chicken Inn (National Sports Stadium), Bulawayo City v Caps United (Barbourfields), Harare City v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro)
Sunday, November 18: Bulawayo Chiefs v Highlanders (Barbourfields), Dynamos v Mutare City (Rufaro), Triangle United v Nichrut (Gibbo), Black Rhinos v Shabanie Mine (National Sports Stadium), Chapungu v Yadah (Ascot)
Table
P W D L F A GD Pts
FC Platinum 32 23 5 4 51 14 37 74
Ngezi Platinum 32 20 5 7 50 22 28 65
Chicken Inn 32 15 10 7 41 25 16 55
Triangle United 32 16 4 12 38 30 8 52
Caps United 32 12 11 9 33 26 7 47
Highlanders 32 13 8 11 31 27 4 47
Herentals 32 12 11 9 24 24 0 47
Harare City 32 10 16 6 27 25 2 46
**ZPC Kariba 32 12 11 9 28 26 2 44
Black Rhinos 32 10 13 9 36 30 6 43
Dynamos 32 10 11 11 26 32 -6 41
Yadah FC 32 9 12 11 32 39 -7 39
Byo Chiefs 32 9 11 12 27 32 -5 38
Chapungu 32 9 10 13 27 34 -7 37
Nichrut 32 8 9 15 28 36 -8 33
Bulawayo City 32 7 5 20 27 42 -15 26
Mutare City 32 5 7 20 22 50 -28 22
Shabanie Mine 32 2 14 16 24 56 -31 19
**Three points deducted for use of a suspended player
