Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
FC Platinum coach Pieter de Jongh is excited by Caf’s release of the 2020/21 Total Caf Champions League dates, which will see his Zvishavane-based outfit playing its 27th match in the competition since 2012 over the weekend of November 20-22.
Caf said the first registration window for participating clubs will open on October 21 and close on November 5, while the second and final registration period before the preliminary matches will run from November 6-19 ahead of the first leg of the preliminary round.
The second leg of the preliminary round will be over the weekend of November 27-29.
The nomadic Dutchman said it was back to business for Pure Platinum Play now that the dates are out, as they seek to better their previous two performances in the premier continental club tournament.
“I am very excited that Caf has announced the dates for the Champions League. We start on November 20. Back to business for a good preparation and good results,” De Jongh wrote on his Twitter timeline.
Although the local Premier Soccer League didn’t take off this year following a lockdown forced by outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, FC Platinum had tasted some action and already lifted their first silverware after beating Highlanders 2-0 in the Castle Challenge Cup in March, a week before the aborted kick-off of the PSL.
The Castle Challenge Cup pits winners of the Chibuku Super Cup and PSL championship.
De Jongh led Highlanders to a 1-0 win over Ngezi Platinum Stars in the Chibuku Super Cup final at Barbourfields Stadium at the end of the 2019 PSL season. The Dutchman then switched allegiance to Zvishavane and led FC Platinum to victory over Bosso in the Castle Challenge Cup at Barbourfields Stadium through a Silas Songani brace.
The Dutchman will be hoping for a change of fortunes in the African safari for the three-time back-to-back Zimbabwe league champions.
FC Platinum have made two back-to-back qualifications to the lucrative group stages of the tournament, but are yet to register a win, with their best results being three draws.
They have played 26 matches in the Champions League since making their maiden appearance in 2012 when they were knocked out 2-5 on aggregate in the first-round by Al Merreikh from Sudan.
The Zvishavane side had walloped Green Mamba of Eswatini 8-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round.
They made a return to continental club competition in 2015 in the less lucrative Caf Confederation Cup in 2015, beating Sofapaka of Kenya 4-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round before losing 2-5 in the first-round to Tanzania’s Young Africans.
In 2018, FC Platinum were bundled out of the Champions League by Agosto from Angola, who beat them 5-1 in the preliminary round.
They made a breakthrough by qualifying to the group stages in the 2018-19 version of the Champions League, getting their campaign underway with a 2-1 aggregate win over Madagascar’s Cnaps Sport in the preliminary round before accounting for Congo Brazzaville’s AS Otoho, albeit on an away goals’ rule after the two teams drew 1-1 in Otoho and 0-0 at Mandava Stadium.
They were then drawn in Group B alongside Orlando Pirates, then defending champions Esperance and Guinea’s Horoya.
Two home and away draws against Orlando Pirates and losses at home and on the road to Esperance and Horoya saw Pure Platinum Play bowing out of the competition bottom of the group and winless.
They were back again the following season in which they faced Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi coached by former Dynamos and Warriors gaffer Callisto Pasuwa in the preliminary round.
They held the Malawians to a goalless draw in Blantyre before snatching a nervy 3-2 win in the second-leg at Barbourfields Stadium to progress to the first-round to face UD Songo of Mozambique.
They accounted for the Mozambicans 5-2 on aggregate to become only the second local side to make back-to-back Caf Champions League group stage appearances after Dynamos.
Like in their maiden campaign in the group stages, Pure Platinum Play failed to register any victory, just managing a single home draw against Al Ahly and losing the rest of the matches to Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, Al Hilal of Sudan as well as to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
FC Platinum’s Total Caf Champions League record
P W D L F A Pts
26 6 6 14 26 38 24
Success rate: 23.08%
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