Esperance to repay FC Platinum

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in DUBAI, UAE
TOTAL Caf Champions League holders Esperance of Tunisia have undertaken to reimburse FC Platinum costs incurred in accessing training facilities in Tunis last Wednesday ahead of their Group B encounter on Friday.

Pure Platinum Play landed in the Tunisian capital on Wednesday and decided to hold a light training session at a facility they had to pay for.

Speaking in Dubai where the team had a sleep over from Tunisia on Saturday, head of delegation Nkosilathi Ncube revealed that the North African club’s president made the undertaking to reimburse FC Platinum during a pre-match meeting attended by the clubs’ and Caf representatives.

“What happened was that when we got to Tunisia, the coach felt the team needed to loosen up, but due to some logistical issues, the host team had not prepared a venue for that facility resulting in the Club using its own resources to secure the pitch. However, when we held our pre-match meeting on Thursday, Esperance, through their president, undertook to reimburse the club the cost of hiring that venue,” said Ncube.

According to set Caf expectations, a visiting team has to train at the match venue on the eve of the match and the Zimbabwean champions did that on Thursday before Friday’s encounter.

FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza’s charges sadly fell 0-2 to the Caf Champions League holders in an empty stadium after Caf punished them for crowd trouble in their final against Egyptian kings Al Ahly.

Despite the sanctions, the match day expenses were the same after 250 police details were deployed to the stadium.

Meanwhile, FC Platinum touched down in Harare yesterday evening and are expected to resume training on Wednesday in preparation for their next Group B tie against Guinea champions Horoya.

The two teams will clash in back-to-back duels before the Zimbabwe champions make the trip down south for the return encounter against Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. Their final Group B game will be at home against Esperance.