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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
FC Platinum are set to begin their CAF Champions League preliminary round campaign against Angolan opponents Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança.
The Zvishavane side will be away in Angola, during the weekend of September 10-12, according to the draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt yesterday.
The return leg will take place a week later, most likely at the National Sports Stadium.
The winners will proceed to the first round, where they are set to face the winner of the match between Royal Leopards of Lesotho and Zambian giants Zanaco.
Unlike FC Platinum, who have been regular participants, in the premier interclub competition, Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança, are returning to the tournament, for the first time, in 15 years.
Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança sealed their berth by winning the Angolan Girabola League, which ended just two weeks ago.
They had 70 points, three ahead of seasoned campaigners, Petro de Luanda.
This was their second league title, in the club’s 44-year history.
The last time they took part in the CAF Champions League was in 2006 and they were eliminated in the preliminary round.
They are looking to make their third appearance, in the continental tournament, after their debut in 2005, on account of having finished as league runners-up in Angola, the previous season.
But, unlike FC Platinum, who have not played enough competitive football in two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Angolans managed to complete their 2020-21 season, after 30 rounds.
The previous campaign ended prematurely.
FC Platinum, who have just been granted permission to resume training under the Covid-19 lockdown rules, will need to work over time, to catch up, in terms of match fitness. Ideally, a team needs at least six weeks, to be ready for competitive football.
If they make it past the Angolans, the platinum miners should still fancy their chances of a group stage appearance, after they managed to evade any of the 10 seeded teams, in the second stage.
The seeded teams, headlined by champions Al Ahly of Egypt, were exempted from taking part in the first preliminary round.
The other ranked teams were Etoile du Sahel and Esperance (both Tunisia), Zamalek (Egypt), Wydad Athletic Club, Raja Casablanca (Morocco), Horoya A.C (Guinea), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Tanzanian giants, Simba SC.
FC Platinum have represented Zimbabwe, in the last four successive campaigns.
They reached the group stage twice, in 2019 and 2020.
It will also be exciting to see how Callisto Pasuwa’s Nyasa Big Bullets will fare after they were paired against South Africa’s Champions League debutants, AmaZulu.
AmaZulu are under the guidance of Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy.
The winner will face Congolese giants TP Mazembe, in the next round.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a bye in the preliminary round, will wait for the winner of the tie between Bouenguidi Sports (Gabon) and AS Maniema Union (DR Congo).
Al Ahly of Egypt will start their title defence in the second round and will face the winner between US Gendarmerie Nationale (Niger) and Le Messager de Ngozi (Burundi).
Zimbabwe, for the second year running, will not be represented in the Confederation Cup.
Last week, FC Platinum inked a strategic business and development partnership with Spanish La Liga side, Real Betis Balompie
The strategic partnership was put together by local sports agency, Athletes Sphere Management, led by former rugby star, Gerald Sibanda, who has a strong relationship with Real Betis.
“Real Betis Balompié have signed a collaboration agreement with FC Platinum, the main football team in Zimbabwe,’’ the Spanish La Liga club announced, in a statement.
“This partnership will be aimed to common growth by sharing information and methodology.
“The African club will increase their expertise, in fields such as fan engagement; the use of big data; monetisation in social media; youth teams’ management, digital transformation; or new ways of revenue applied to professional football.
“FC Platinum are the most powerful team in Zimbabwe in recent years. They have won the last three editions of the Zimbabwe Premier League (2017, 2018 and 2019) and taken part in the CAF Champions League.’’
Online Reporter