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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s Total Caf Champions League representatives FC Platinum fly out of the country tomorrow morning for their first round first-leg encounter against AS Otoho of Congo Brazzaville on Sunday.
The game will be played at Stade Marien Ngauabi in Owando State, about 450KM from the capital Brazzaville.
“We are set to leave in the early hours of Thursday morning via Kenyan Airways,” said FC Platinum public relations officer Chido Chizondo.
With high temperatures in the Central African nation, Pure Platinum Play will be hoping that the three days are enough to acclimatise for Sunday afternoon’s battle.
Coach Norman Mapeza knows pretty well the kind of opposition he will face in the Congo and with Otoho seemingly invincible at home where they are yet to lose a game since January 2017, he might throw in defence-minded players with a plan to also catch the Congolese on the break.
Otoho knocked out Agosto of Luanda in the preliminary round after they beat them 2-0 at home to go through on the away goals’ rule after losing the first-leg 4-2 in Luanda.
While the Congolese seem unbeatable at home, they have not been good travellers in all competitions and their inexperience in the African safari might work to the advantage of FC Platinum.
Winners of the two-leg encounter go through to the group stages of the lucrative tournament where $550 000 awaits teams that will make it into the pool games.
The return leg at Mandava Stadium is set for December 22, with the draw for the group games taking place six days later.
Group stage matches will be played from January 11 to March 15, with the quarter-finals coming up between April 5 and April 12.
The semi-finals’ first-leg will be held on April 26, while the return leg is set for May 3. Winners of the semi-final ties will clash in the two-leg final on May 24 and May 31, 2019.
Online Reporter