The Sunday Mail
Bulawayo City . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
FC Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . .(0) 1
GIANT striker Rodwell Chinyengetere scored late as FC Platinum broke Bulawayo City hearts at Barbourfields yesterday to stretch their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League lead to five points.
In a game that was cagey and uninspiring for most of the afternoon, Chinyengetere, signed at the start of the season by Norman Mapeza amid murmurs of disapproval from some sections at Pure Platinum Play, popped in to score the all important winner just on the stroke of full time.
FC Platinum are now on 36 points, five ahead of second placed Highlanders who have made the trip to the capital for their back to back clash against Caps United at the National Sports Stadium today.
Bosso can cut the lead back to two points but that is probably the last thing on Mapeza’s mind at the moment as his team appears to be finding its range at just about the right time.
The off season transfer window saw FC Platinum resign Charles Sibanda and swoop on midfielder William Stima as they seek a maiden league title.
Transfer market transactions were largely influenced by a feeling that although the platinum miners have a strong defence, they lack the killer punch.
Sibanda, signed from How Mine, is no longer the lethal man he was during his time at Motor Action but Mapeza believes he can still get the best out of the gangly striker.
Stima is a very mobile midfielder and in him, the FC Platinum gaffer sees a man who can unlock defences with one pass and create chances for strikers such as Chinyengetere, Sibanda and Tarisai Rukanda.
Despite watching his team stretch their lead at the apex of the log, Mapeza, who won the title with a modest Monomotapa in 2008, insists his men are not dreaming about the league title.
“This was another difficult match for us but credit to the boys for fighting until the last minute,” he said.
“To us, this is just another win and we are looking forward to the next game. Like I have said before, we are taking it one game at a time. We are not under any pressure to win the league, we are not even thinking about it.”
For Bulawayo City gaffer Philani “Beefy” Ncube, yesterday’s defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.
His PSL debutantes made a fight of it but their efforts, which in all fairness, should have earned them at least a point, counted for nothing as Chinyengetere continued to repay the faith that Mapeza showed in him.
“We paid dearly for a lapse in concentration,” said Ncube.
