Mapeza reaches fabulous five

BY TERRY MADYAUTA

The FC PLATINUM executive has paid tribute to team coach Norman Mapeza, who clocked a five-year-long stay at the helm of the Zvishavane side.

Mapeza joined Pure Platinum Play in 2014 and has turned them into a formidable force on the local front after breaking the Harare-Bulawayo stranglehold of the Premier Soccer League title.

The former Galatasaray man has so far led FC Platinum to two consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018, in which they also won two Castle Challenge cups.

Last season, he was named Coach of The Year for the second year running.

He also marshalled the platinum miners to the group stage of the 2018/19 edition of the CAF Champions League and is also angling to reach the quarter finals of the current campaign where they play host to Big Nyasa Bullets of Malawi in the reverse preliminary round clash tommorow at Barbourfields Stadium.

Club chairman Evans Mtombeni heaped praise on Mapeza for turning the platinum miners into the force they are now.

“It is a huge milestone for us as a club and for him as an individual for everything that we have achieved together as a team,” he said. “We are even looking forward for more fruitful years and we are hopeful that he will help us reach our main objective, which is to become a big brand on the African continent.

“With him, FC Platinum have developed a culture which has kept us strong. His service for all these years has made us continue to do well and despite losing so many key players during the mid-season break, we are still competing for the league championship.

“We, as the FC Platinum family, are happy and we appreciate the coach. His vision has yielded good results for us.” NewsDay