FC Platinum bow out of Caf CL

Simba SC 4-0 FC Platinum
(Simba win 4-1 on aggregate)

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE league champions FC Platinum bowed out of the Caf Champions League in spectacular fashion following some drama a few hours before kick-off.

Two hours before the match, FC Platinum were told that five of their players, four of whom were in the starting line up, and three officials had tested positive for Covid-19.

While Caf regulations require mandatory PCR tests to be conducted at least 48 hours before a match and results availed at least two hours before a team departs for the stadium or earlier, whichever is possible, it is the shocking decision to first avail those results to Simba SC before verbally informing FC Platinum that part of their delegation had tested positive for the virus.

“We were never shown the results; it was just by word of mouth, which is actually strange,” said club general manager and retired international referee Joseph Mususa before kick-off.

He said they immediately informed the match commissioner that they were playing the match under protest.

Having travelled with 23 players, two of whom were carrying injuries, Norman Mapeza was left with 16 players for the match.

Pure Platinum Play seemed to hold their own as it remained goalless until just after half an hour when the hosts were awarded a penalty after the referee adjudged that Tawana Chikore had committed a foul inside the box.

Even after the penalty goal, FC Platinum still looked composed and were still well in the match, only for their world to spectacularly collapse in the second half, largely after they seemed to lose concentration due to frustration from some appalling decisions by the referee.