Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WITH just a few weeks left before the 2026 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season kicks off, Zvishavane feels awake again.
Not loud. Not frantic. Just restless in that familiar way that comes when belief starts to creep back in.
At Mandava Stadium, the talk is no longer about what FC Platinum have lost. It’s about what they’re trying to become again.
The former champions are rebuilding, deliberately and without apology. Eleven new players have arrived in a single window, a statement that cuts through an off season defined by scrambling, inflated prices and clubs flexing new financial muscle.
For FC Platinum, this isn’t noise. It’s intent.
The change runs deeper than recruitment. The faces have shifted from the boardroom to the technical bench.
Joel Luphahla, a former Zimbabwe international, is now in charge, stepping into the long shadow left by Norman Mapeza.
Mapeza’s decade at the club delivered an era of dominance, four straight league titles and a standard that still defines what success looks like in Zvishavane.
The last three seasons dulled that edge. Sixth place last year, 20 points off the pace, felt like an ending.
The club insists it’s a reset.
A new chairman, Benson Virimayi, has taken over. Collen Nikisi has come in as general manager. Together, they’ve been tasked with restarting a machine that once felt inevitable in its success.
“For us, every season we should always be aiming to fight for the championship. We really want to go back to our peak,” Nikisi said.
Between 2017 and 2022, FC Platinum were the league’s constant. Four titles in a row placed them alongside Dynamos and Highlanders in rare company.
Walking away from that identity, even briefly, was uncomfortable. This season, Nikisi says, is about reclaiming it in a league that looks nothing like the one they once ruled.
Scottland, the defending champions, and MWOS, last season’s runners-up, arrived in the topflight with momentum and money. Hardrock of Kwekwe, backed by gold mining proceeds, have joined the arms race, prising talent from rivals before they’ve even unpacked.
FC Platinum have responded with purpose.
Among the new faces are four foreign recruits led by Namibian forward Mbakondja Tjahikika, last season’s top scorer and a double league and cup winner.
Cameroonian goalkeeper Ekoi arrives with Under 17 AFCON and youth World Cup experience. Malawian defender Maxwell Paipi adds international steel. Ghanaian striker Emmanuel Dogbey brings pace and promise.
The profile is clear. The average age of the new signings is 23.
“We invested a lot in scouting. We are building a culture,” Nikisi said.
“So, we looked at the quality of the players. We didn’t just recruit for the sake of filling vacancies because we are building a team with character.
“We believe character will define us this season and beyond. There are qualities that are non-negotiable such as hard work and loyalty to the brand.
“We considered several things like age because we are building this team with the future in mind.”
Locally, the club has added midfielder Garikai Dematsika from relegated GreenFuel, defender Takunda Vareta from Yadah, former Sheasham midfielder David Mangezi, Trevor Bhunu from Golden Eagles and returning academy products Tadiwa Muchenje and Takunda Manyuchi.
Those who have moved on include David Bizabane, Polyester Shoko, Misheck Ngwenya, Wallace Magalane, Davison Marowa, Bothwell Nzori, Ronald Mate and Vincent Nyangulu.
What matters most to the supporters is what stayed. Hagiazo Magaya. Thubelihle Jubani. Nickson Nyasulu. Oscar Bhebhe. Mbongeni Ndlovu. Jarrison Selemani. The spine remains intact.
Around town, the mood is cautious but unmistakable. Conversations linger longer. Names are debated. For a fan base that hasn’t celebrated a title since 2022, this feels like something close to renewal.
Luphahla understands exactly where he has landed.
“I’m happy to be here,” he said.
“This is one of the best clubs in the country and I knew coming here was going to be difficult. I’m that kind of coach who loves to take challenges because challenges bring out the best in me.
“You saw I took a challenge last season from the then champions. It was not easy, but I went there knowing fully well that I was going to be under pressure. If I want to grow, these are the challenges I need to take.”
He has brought familiarity with him. Warren Mapanga joins as goalkeepers’ coach, Dilloan Chivandire handles strength and conditioning, and Ashley Ndebele completes a technical group that worked together at Simba Bhora, where they finished third last season.
But Zvishavane is different. The history is heavier.
Luphahla knows that too.
“Coming here knowing that the previous coach did a tremendous job, I knew it was going to be difficult. Ten years of the coach being here, people got used to him. They got used to his system and philosophy,” he said.
“To come here after all the cups he brought to the club, it’s not going to be easy. But I am prepared.
“That’s why I signed a long term contract. I want to stay here. I want to become part and parcel of the FC Platinum family.
“When I walked past the trophy cabinet, I told myself, this is the standard I must live up to.”
For now, that standard sits quietly behind glass. The season hasn’t started. No points have been earned.
But in Zvishavane, belief has returned to the conversation. And sometimes, that’s how comebacks begin.
