The Sunday Mail
Mehluli Sibanda in Bulawayo
FC Platinum ………………………..0
Al Hilal ………………………… (0) 1
FC PLATINUM were left to regret a missed penalty as a late goal condemned the Zvishavane-based side to another defeat by Al Hilal of Sudan at Barbourfields yesterday. This means the reigning Castle Lager Premiership champions have now lost four times during this Caf Champions’ League campaign.
Left back Tawana Chikore sent the ball wide off target from the penalty spot in the first half and FC Platinum were punished when the visitors scored through substitute Mohamed Musa six minutes from the final whistle.
FC Platinum, who will play their last group match away to Étoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia, now have no chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition as they are still rooted at the bottom with one point and a goal difference of minus seven. Al Hilal moved to second on the log with nine points. They have a chance of making it to the quarter finals.
FC Platinum coach Hendrik Pieter de Jongh felt that they played well, especially in the first half.
He said had they converted the penalty, that would have made life much easier for them. “We played very nice football with good movement and had a big chance to score from the penalty spot. Unfortunately we missed the penalty kick at a crucial moment in the game. Had we scored, it would have made life easier for us,” said de Jongh.
“Congratulations to our opponent, they are in good position to qualify,’’ he said.
Al Hilal coach Hamada Sedky said they managed to win because they were able to change things in the second half, altering the formation and making three substitutions.
He also observed that the FC Platinum fitness levels went down in the second half.
“We are here to win the game because we are still in the competition and your team (FC Platinum) is out of the competition,” he said.
“It will be difficult for them now. In the second half we changed the system to 4-4-2 and changed three players. This made the difference.
“We controlled the game in the second half. Football is 90 minutes, you must learn to play the 90 minutes, not 45 minutes,’’ Sedky said.
FC Platinum could have taken the lead in the 26th minute when Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe awarded them a penalty after Rahman Kutsanzira had been pushed inside the box by Faris Abdalla.
Chikore stepped up to take the penalty kick but sent his effort wide off target.
That miss came back to haunt the three-times Zimbabwean champions, with the Sudanese scoring six minutes from time.
Substitute Perfect Chikwende was dispossessed deep in the Al Hilal half and a long ball was sent up, with the FC Platinum defence failing to deal with it, thereby leaving Musa to fire past an exposed Petros Mhari.
Teams
FC Platinum: P Mhari, K Madzongwe, R Maduviwa (Mhlanga 78 mins), G Nsiala (Chikwende 66 mins), W Stima, G Bello, R Kutsanzira, R Pavari, L Jesi (Nhamo 90+1 mins), S Ngala, T Chikore
Al Hilal: S Magoola, M Mokhtar, W Bakhet, S Merghani, I Mohsin, F Abdalla (Mohamed 59 mins), A Latif, A El Tahir, M Darag (Kadio 74 mins), I Majeed (Musa 82 mins), M Esam
