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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER missing the chance to retain the Premier Soccer League title and set a new domestic football record, former champions FC Platinum have begun the process of renewal by letting go mostly the ageing players ahead of the 2024 season.
The platinum miners, who started their pre-season training programme yesterday, have released more than half dozen senior players and will be announcing replacements in the coming days.
The affected players include captain Petros Mhari, Innocent Mucheneka, Perfect Chikwende, former Soccer Star Walter Musona, Raphael Muduviwa, Nomore Chinyerere, Gift Mbweti and Gift Bello who at 39 years is now heading into retirement after serving the platinum miners for close to a decade.
Bello joined FC Platinum in February 2014 from Dynamos and he played over 300 matches for the former PSL champions.
The platinum miners’ spokesperson, Chido Chizondo, yesterday said the club was clear on the pre-season player movements which they believe do not constitute rebuilding.
“We are not rebuilding. It’s just that the coach has indicated he wants fresh legs and so there was no renewal of contracts that ended in December,” said Chizondo.
Most of the players on the move had their contracts expiring in December and were not renewed. But most of the key players who included
FC Platinum have retained some of their key players from the previous season, the likes of Brian Banda, Jean Mutudza, Jarrison Selemani, Rainsome Pavari, Lawrence Mhlanga, Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya, Panashe Mutimbanyoka, Kelvin Mangiza and Hagiazo Magaya.
The Zvishavane side dominated the last few years and were undisputed kings of domestic football after winning four straight league titles from 2017 and as many Castle Challenge Cup titles.
But their reign after the remarkable four-peat that equaled records by giants Dynamos and Highlanders, was halted last season by fellow platinum-backed side Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Norman Mapeza and his men finished fourth in the marathon and were 11 points off the pace at the conclusion of the campaign.
That FC Platinum ended the 2023 season empty-handed must not have gone down well with the Zvishavane side leading to club president Fabian Mashingaidze and chairperson Smartfin Techu stepping down from their positions.
The club has since announced the arrival of Blessing Garamunhango as the new club president while Dumisani Sisale becomes the new chairman.
Online Reporter