FC Platinum rock Sudan

Their next opponents — El Merreikh — are now bracing for a tough first round assignment.
Rahman Gumbo’s men, making their Champions League debut, announced their arrival on the continental stage with a bang when they completed a comprehensive 8-2 win over the Swazi Correctional Services outfit.
FC Platinum had put one foot into the first round when they hammered Green Mamba 4-2 in the first leg in Mbabane. They completed their preliminary round mission with another convincing 4-0 triumph at Mandava on Saturday, with Warriors forward Charles Sibanda leading the rout with a brace, while midfielders Joel Ngodzo ad Allan Gahadzikwa weighed in with one apiece.
Rarely has a local team, marking its Champions League debut, made such a big statement about their intentions and FC Platinum’s massive win has forced their next opponents El Merreikh to stop and take note.
The Sudanese champions, who just like that country’s Premiership runners-up and bitter rivals Al Hilal were seeded, had a preliminary round bye and were waiting for the identity of their first round opponents.
But it is the manner in which the miners went about their demolition job on Green Mamba that has forced El Merreikh to up their preparations ahead of their first round, first leg visit to Mandava on the weekend of March 23-25.
Zimbabwe international striker Edward Sadomba, who plies his trade in Sudan          with Al Hilal, and a Sudanese journalist, Babiker Osman, both revealed from Khartoum yesterday that FC Platinum’s big win had grabbed the spotlight in the Sudanese capital.
Sadomba and Osman said El Merreikh were now bracing for a much tougher first round challenge against the Zimbabweans.
Sadomba who is expected to lead the Al Hilal attack in the competition said although El Merreikh were a more experienced side, they were treating Platinum with respect and were not leaving anything to chance.
The speedy forward also warned Gumbo’s men to brace themselves for a real test of their Champions League pedigree when they come up against El Merreikh.
Sadomba, however, said he was impressed with way the FC Platinum management and technical department had gone about their preparations for their Champions League campaign.
He said despite the cub having a short history, “they have brought a fresh breath of air to Zimbabwean football’’.
“It is going to be tough for both teams but I give credit to the Platinum management for the professional approach they are taking to football and that is what you need in order to succeed in African football.
“FC Platinum has brought a fresh breath of air to Zimbabwean football and in Rahman Gumbo they have a very experienced coach who should guide them in continental football.
“Of course Merreikh also have the money and they have players who were at the Nations Cup so it is going to be very exciting,’’ Sadomba said.
Sadomba said both El Merreikh and their supporters were now eagerly awaiting their showdown with the Castle Lager Premiership runners-up.
“A lot of people are already talking about that game here and they are eager to watch FC Platinum.
“They are aware that it is a new team because here in Sudan they know much about Dynamos, Highlanders and CAPS United and they are just surprised that there is a new team that has started by winning 8-2 on aggregate.
“Even El Merreikh has stepped up their preparations because they are treating FC Platinum with respect after the win over Green Mamba raised a lot of expectations. But one thing that will be a plus for FC Platinum when they come to Khartoum is that Al Hilal supporters will be on their side. The rivalry between Al Hilal and El Merreikh is so intense here that Al Hilal supporters would rather prefer to go in and support Merreikh’s opponents.
“It also looks likely that we will play El Merreikh in a league match just before their second leg clash with FC Platinum here and that should even fuel more supporters to go and back FC Platinum.
“Merrikh also just beat us to the league title and we are hoping to change that this season,’’ Sadomba said.
The former Dynamos talisman, however, warned the miners against conceding goals at Mandava if they are entertaining hopes of continuing with their fairy-tale start to life in the Champions League.
“In football there is no home and away advantage really but Platinum must avoid conceding goals in Zvishavane because it is a fact that El Merreikh are very difficult to beat in Sudan. So Platinum should try to win without conceding away goals that could complicate their life,’’ Sadomba said.
Sadomba, who just like a host of many seasoned internationals missed the start of the Warriors 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, also paid tribute to the weakened side, which interim national coach Gumbo took to Burundi for a 2-1 losing cause.
The Al Hilal chief striker is one of more than 80 players, coaches and administrators serving a suspension for having been fingered in the Asiagate scam.
Zifa’s Independent Ethics Committee is expected to interview and clear those individuals who would have been found not guilty of match-fixing and Sadomba, expected in the country this week, reiterated his keenness to appear before the Justice Ebrahim committee to clear his name.
“Considering our preparations and the way players travelled for the game, I think the guys did a good job even though they lost in Burundi.
“I think the goal that Knowledge scored will be crucial in the second leg and as a nation we must give them credit and I am sure the job will be finished in Harare,’’ Sadomba said.
Osman, who covers a lot of Merrikh’s assignments, noted that although the Sudanese were treating FC Platinum with respect, he believed that El Merreikh would triumph because of their experience.
“I think Merreikh is a big club in Africa and Platinum is a big club in Zimbabwe.
“Platinum had a good season in Zimbabwe coming second after Dynamos and now they beat Green Mamba 8-2 in two matches.
“I think we should expect a good match but of course Merreikh are better experienced and they will be different from Green Mamba . . . I expect them to win and qualify,’’ Osman said.