The Sunday Mail
Mukudzei Chingwere in Zvishavane
FC Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Ngezi Platinum . . . . . . . . . . 1
NORMAN MAPEZA tried his best to play it cool as everyone around him celebrated this come from behind win at Mandava as if FC Platinum had already secured their first Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title.
Pure Platinum Play have fate in their hands.
They need to go to Ascot and beat Chapungu on the final day of the season to be crowned kings of Zimbabwean football.
And with the way they have been playing of late, that looks like a task that is not beyond them.
However, speaking after his team ended Ngezi Platinum’s title hopes, Mapeza insisted it wasn’t a done deal yet.
“I do not want to talk much about winning the title. Yes it is in our hands but we have to win our last game against Chapungu and we will be champions,” said Mapeza, who won his maiden title with Momonotapa.
But the more Mapeza spoke the more he gave away his own belief that this will turn out to be a Pure Platinum year.
“We have been doing very well in our previous away matches and I think we have what it takes to win away to Chapungu.
“I say we because it’s all about team work, everyone at the club has been supportive and we are where we are because of that hard work.
“I am very proud of the boys, they did very well today to get maximum points. It was a very difficult game but we managed to win the game,” he said.
Both sides started the match with a lot of caution with the first realistic chance of the match arriving in the seventh minute but Ngezi’s Clive Augusto failed to direct his header on target.
In the 25th minute, a hush descended on Mandava when Michael Charamba opened the scoring.
Charamba finished off a brilliant move which saw Liberty Chakoroma and Augusto opening up the home side’s defence with precise passing.
Pure Platinum Play pushed for an equalizer and five minutes before the breather, Ali Sadiki tried from range but his effort did not trouble Takabva Mawaya, the Ngezi goalie.
The hosts restored parity seconds before the breather when Kelvin Moyo back heeled the ball home after a goal mouth melee.
The second half was explosive but Rodwell Chinyengetere made sure the pendulum swung in FC Platinum’s favour, heading home a Sadiki cross on 70 minutes.
Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderayi Ndiraya bemoaned his team’s generous defending.
“We failed to defend corner kicks just like we did against Chicken Inn, we need to address that. At this level of the competition, you do not have to make such mistakes.
“We are out of the league title race I think but I am happy with how the boys performed this season. No one expected us to be here fighting for the title but we gave it a good go,” he said.
Teams
FC Platinum: W Magalane, I Nekati, G Bello, K Moyo, E Moyo, W Mhango, R Chinyengetere (B Muzondiwa 90), N Masuku (G Takwara 80), C Sibanda (G Mbweti 64), A Sadiki, M Dube
Ngezi Platinum: T Mawaya, D Tavari, P Jaure, Q Amini (T Mchisi 76), L Chakoroma, X Moyo (D Teguru 82), G Murwira, W Mukanga, M Charamba, C Augusto, T Dzvukamanja (K Bulaji 78)
