Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
FC Platinum will be invading the players’ transfer market to bolster their squad when the window opens on Thursday ahead of the 2021/22 Caf Champions League season that kicks off in September.
The 2021/22 Champions League season will kick-off on September 10, 2021, with the first round of preliminaries and group stages starting in February 2022.
The Zvishavane platinum miners were handpicked by Zifa to represent the country by virtue of them having won the last league campaign in the country in 2019 after the 2020 season was voided by the Covid-19 pandemic that forced the Government to impose a lockdown, which restricted gatherings and banned all local sporting activities.
Caf has allowed clubs to register 40 players, up from the previous 30.
“Caf has extended the five substitutions rule for the 2021/22 inter-club season. Accordingly, each club will be allowed to register 40 players instead of the regulatory 30. Nine substitutes will be allowed on the bench instead of the regular seven. The registration of players on the Caf CMS has been extended to 15 August 2021,” Caf said in a statement.
At the moment FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza has a squad of 25 senior and one junior player, and if he is to fill all slots, they will add a massive 14 new faces.
“The coaches are looking into that (addition of new players) and we await their input,” said FC Platinum spokesperson Chido Chizondo.
FC Platinum made their debut in the Champions League in 2012 and have represented Zimbabwe in the last four successive campaigns.
While they have qualified for the group stages twice, Pure Platinum Play dramatically crushed out of the race in the first-round last year.
They have also not won a match in the group stages, with their best result being a draw against Orlando Pirates.
Online Reporter